Financial Crisis
»	Blackrock Buying Italian Debt
»	China’s Small and Medium Enterprises Struggling
»	Indignados’ Revolt Spreads to Switzerland
»	Italian Unemployment Drops to 7.8% in Q2
»	Portugal: Drastic Measures to Stave Off Collapse
»	Portugal: Thirteenth Month’s Salary Cut and Longer Workdays
	Canada
»	Toronto Sun’s Peter Worthington Throws His Support Behind Romney
	Europe and the EU
»	Cyprus: Russian Tourists Increased by 50% in September
»	European Parliament Criticises Dutch Stance on Romania, Bulgaria
»	Italy Warned Over Swordfish Net, Risks Court & Fine
»	Italy: ‘Blind’ Hairdresser Nabbed Riding Bike
»	Italy: Halal Food Market Grows, 5 Bln-Euro Potential in Italy
»	Ligurian Town Bans Non-Italian Restaurants
»	Parental Monitoring: Nursery School in Italy Introduces Classroom Webcam
»	Strauss-Kahn Accused Over Prostitution Ring in Lille
»	Turkey Still Wants to Join the EU, Without Enthusiasm
»	UK Ship Asked to Point Guns Away From Mrs Obama’s Suite
	North Africa
»	Libya: Amnesty Says Pro-Gadaffi Prisoners Have Been ‘Tortured’
»	Morocco: Consolidates Presence in Global Olive Production
»	Tawarga: Fires Blaze and Bad Blood Lingers in Libyan Ghost Town
»	Tunisia: Rising Exports in Leather Sector, Italy Top Client
»	Tunisia: Shopkeepers in Tunis Medina Against Tour Operators
	Israel and the Palestinians
»	‘River of Poison’ Rebirth Underway, Soon to be Reserve
	Middle East
»	Fox-Gate: Ties to US ‘Tea Party’ And Mossad Emerge
»	Kuwait: Royal Family Member Sentenced to Death for Murder
»	UAE: New Approach to Irrigation Cuts Water Waste
	South Asia
»	Kazakh Communist Party Suspended for Supporting Strike
»	No Casualties in Attack on Italian Troops in Herat
»	Pakistani Islamic Extremists March in Support of Assassin Mumtaz Qadri
	Far East
»	Hong Kong: Appeals Court Decides Less Freedom for Hong Kong Schools
	Australia — Pacific
»	ALP Bites the Hands That Voted for It
»	Life Story of Iraqi “Grandson” of Mother Teresa Becomes YouTube Sensation
	Sub-Saharan Africa
»	Kenyan Troops Enter Somalia to Pursue Al-Shabab Militants
»	Perfect Outreach Tool for Relief Groups: UNHCR’s Melissa Fleming on Social Media
	Immigration
»	UK: Ignored for Ten Years… Abandoned Wife’s Pleas to Deport Immigrant Husband Who Flouted Law
»	UK: Welcome to the Slums of Southall: How Unscrupulous Landlords Have Illegally Built Squalid Homes for Immigrants
	Culture Wars
»	Call Off the Thought Police

Blackrock Buying Italian Debt

New York, 13 Oct. (AKI/Bloomberg) — BlackRock, the world’s biggest money manager, is buying Italian debt given the improved prospects for a resolution to the euro zone sovereign debt crisis, Chief Investment Officer Rick Rieder said.

“A month ago, policy makers weren’t really reacting to some of the stresses, weren’t talking about bank recapitalization, weren’t talking about putting a blanket of liquidity under Italy and Spain,” Rieder said, “a number of policy makers have talked about that the time is now. The ultimate outcome we think is going to be constructive and that has sent a breath of fresh air into the marketplace.”

German and French leaders at a meeting on Oct. 9 pledged to devise a plan to recapitalize banks, help Greece and strengthen Europe’s economic governance. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, after meeting French President Nicholas Sarkozy, said Europe will do “everything necessary” to ensure that banks have enough capital.

“There are going to be bumps along the way,” said Rieder, who helps oversee $3.66 trillion at New York-based BlackRock. “We are being very deliberate in terms of how we add financials and Italian debt. But it definitely feels better and there is a tone that has changed.”

Slovakia will vote on Europe’s enhanced bailout fund today or tomorrow, completing the ratification process across the 17 euro countries as the region’s leaders prepare for a summit this month. Party leaders in Bratislava yesterday secured backing for the European Financial Stability Facility in a second vote.

Enhancing the powers of the EFSF, the temporary bailout fund, is crucial for adopting the key element in the strategy to prevent contagion from the debt crisis that has spread from Greece to other countries in the region.

European Commission President Jose Barroso yesterday called for a reinforcement of crisis-hit banks, the payout of a sixth loan to Greece and a faster start for a permanent rescue fund to master Europe’s debt woes.

“We’ve been adding to some of the banks and insurance companies in Europe and actually started adding last week some of the financials in the U.S. as valuations became attractive,” Rieder said.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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China’s Small and Medium Enterprises Struggling

They announce zero profits or losses. More than 3% will go bankrupt. The economic crisis, stagnation in exports and rise in prices affects 72% of SMEs. Hundreds of owners flee and go into hiding, leaving tens of thousands of workers without pay.

Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) — This year, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in China will make no profits, many marking up losses. Under the same ownership, the situation is far worse than the 2008 crisis.

A survey conducted in Guangdong by Alibaba.com and the National School of Development at Beijing University shows that in the next six months, 72% of SMEs at the mouth of the Pearl River will have zero profits or small losses, while the 3.3 % of them will have to close down.

According to data collected, in one year the average profit of the companies has dropped by 30-40%. At the same time, the cost of materials and labour increased blocking all development. 72% of respondents in the investigation said that rising costs is their biggest problem. In the textile and clothing industries, the cost rose by 80%.

The euro crisis and stagnation of the U.S. economy has led to a fall in exports, so that many SMEs are working to only 71% capacity.

SMEs complain about the lack of credit from the State. At least 53% have never had loans other than those of non-banking organizations. The government’s credit crunch on banks — to curb inflation — has dealt a further blow to the development of companies.

Following reports that in Wenzhou (Zhejiang), at least 3% of SMEs had declared bankruptcy, the State Council has promised to help businesses with some tax breaks and possible bank loans, but so far without any solid result.

According to data of the State Council, SMEs account for 99% of companies in China and offer 80% of jobs to the urban population. They contribute to 60% of gross domestic product and 50% of tax revenues.

The fate of SMEs affects the stability and order in society. Over the past 9 months, in Zhejiang alone, 228 owners have fled, leaving 15 thousand workers without pay, amounting to about 76 million Yuan (about 7.6 million Euros).

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Indignados’ Revolt Spreads to Switzerland

On October 15 thousands of people around the globe — including in Switzerland — will come out on the streets to protest against powerful elites.

There have already been popular protests in Spain, Greece and Israel. In the United States, the Occupy Wall Street movement has spread from New York across the country.

Saturday will see demonstrations against corporate power in more than 400 cities, including Geneva, Basel and Zurich.

Sabelli, an Italian who taught for many years at the universities of Neuchâtel and Lugano, as well as at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, will be taking part in Rome.

Fabrizio Sabelli: Looking beyond local issues, what’s really driving young people is the simple desire for greater social justice. A desire for change has been in the air for several years but it’s only in the past few months that there has really been a collective awakening and that the outrage has been vocalised.

In 2008 during the first financial crisis people thought that the global economic order might be upset. But in the end little or nothing changed and therefore injustices and social exploitation multiplied. Outrage grew as people rediscovered the need for a real economy and specific problems such as unemployment or lack of housing became more serious.

In Europe and the US, anger boiled over when young people realised that the billions of euros being used to bail out troubled banks were coming from state budgets and therefore from citizens’ own pockets. But at the same time, social aid was being cut to the bone.

Fabrizio Sabelli (fabriziosabelli.it)

F.S.: In this case I wouldn’t call it a class war but internal contradictions of capitalism, to borrow some Marxist terminology. Capitalism is dying because of its own inconsistencies, because it can’t solve the problems that it itself has created.

These protests could actually speed up capitalism’s decline, but they don’t have enough power to call into question the entire current economic system. The system is self-destructing because it has become a huge casino, a global gaming room where people place bets instead of producing.

F.S.: The political apparatus is no longer responding to the mandate it was given by democratic vote but has instead become autonomous, looking after its own interests and those of powerful groups. Look at the US with the political lobbies in Congress, or at Italy, where control over media and advertising allowed Berlusconi to come to power with 25-26 per cent approval. This is absurd for a democratic country.

Decisions are no longer taken as a function of the political programme, they depend instead on mechanisms of power rather similar to the mafia’s. Pressure groups, rather than the people, determine decisions, thus protecting the interests of the stronger parties. It’s politics’ subjection to the economy and the lobbies of the powerful that has really disappointed young people.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Italian Unemployment Drops to 7.8% in Q2

(ANSAmed) — ROME, SEPTEMBER 30 — The unemployment rate in the second quarter of the year in Italy has dropped to 7.8%, compared with the 8.3% seen in the second quarter of 2010 (equal to 146,000 fewer unemployed). The national statistics institute ISTAT reports that those unemployed has dropped to below 2 million, the lowest number quarterly figure since the second quarter of 2009. ISTAT underscored in any case that despite the drop in unemployment the long-term unemployment figure has instead increased, meaning those who have been looking for a job for over a year. In the second quarter of 2009 long-term unemployment was at 52.9% of the total number of unemployed, the highest in the past 18 years. Youth unemployment dropped in the second quarter from 27.9% to 27.4%, but for young women in the south the rate is still very high at 44%, the highest figure since the second quarter of 2004. Despite the increase in overall employment, those holding a full-time job have decreased on an annual basis (-0.2% or 32,000), while those employed on a part-time basis have increased (+3.4% or 119,000). ISTAT underscored that the latter figure refers “once again to involuntary part-time”.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Portugal: Drastic Measures to Stave Off Collapse

Público, 14 October 2011

Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho has tabled the most austere budget since the return of democracy to the country in 1974. “Lower wages and higher taxes to prevent the collapse of the welfare state,” announces Público.”Almost a million people will lose holiday and Christmas benefits,” which represent a 13th and a 14th month’s salary, leads the Lisbon daily. Working hours in the private sector will go up, public holidays will be fewer, VAT will go up and there will a reduction in income tax discounts. Passos Coelho has justified these “painful” measures for the fiscal slippage of three billion euros in order to reverse Portugal’s “downward economic spiral”.

“The country has witnessed one of the most important and dramatic messages of recent years,” Público confirms in an editorial. “The prime minister has confirmed to the Portuguese that the battle they have waged has gone well beyond merely outracing a financial crisis. The issue now is the collapse of the country.”

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Portugal: Thirteenth Month’s Salary Cut and Longer Workdays

(ANSAmed) — MADRID, OCTOBER 14 — The abolition of the thirteenth and fourteenth month’s salary for civil servants, officials and pensioners who earn more than thousand euros per months will start in 2012. The measure was announced yesterday by Portugal’s Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho, member of the conservative social democratic party PSD, quoted today by the media. The move follows a 10% cut of public wages introduced this year, and is necessary to reduce the country’s public debt and to meet the pledges made in exchange for the financial bailout agreed with IMF and ECB. At the same time, the Portuguese government will allow private firms to introduce longer workdays, half an hour per day, and will revise the calendar of national holidays to eliminate extra days off between holidays and patronal holidays.

The newspaper Public writes that the Portuguese government is also considering the possibility of raising toll on some main motorways, like the one between Lisbon and Porto. The plan that includes the new measures, which also include a VAT increase, will be presented in Parliament on Monday. The PSD party has the absolute majority in the Portuguese Parliament.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Toronto Sun’s Peter Worthington Throws His Support Behind Romney

If it wasn’t clear before, it should be now: Mitt Romney is the only sensible choice Republicans have for their presidential candidate in 2012.

The exciting choice would have been New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie who, in any debate or personal appearance, would have demolished rivals — Republican or Democrat.

Christie has a quickness with a quip that is a bit mindful of Jack Kennedy, and he has a likeability quotient that electrifies people.

But he doesn’t want to run for president, though he hints maybe he’ll change his mind for 2016. (Don’t bet on it — time has a way of revising the list of contenders).

Christie has already endorsed Romney, which underscores his judgment.

— Hat tip: Van Grungy

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Cyprus: Russian Tourists Increased by 50% in September

(ANSAmed) — NICOSIA, OCTOBER 14 — Tourist arrivals from Russia to Cyprus increased by almost 50% in September, compared to the same period last year, as Famagusta Gazette reports.

According to data released by the Statistical Service of the Republic of Cyprus, overall tourist arrivals in September 2011 recorded an increase of 5,2%, compared to September 2010 figures. In particular, arrivals of tourists reached 304.260 in September 2011 compared to 289.126 in September 2010, according to the Passengers Survey. It is added that Russian tourists increased by 49,9%, from 33.267 in September 2010 to 49.863 this year, while a decrease of 1,7% was recorded in tourist arrivals from the United Kingdom, from 137.473 in September 2010 to 135.103 last September. Finally, it is noted that arrivals of tourists for the period January-September 2011 totaled 1.974.147, compared to 1.777.456 in the corresponding period of 2010, recording an increase of 11,1%.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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European Parliament Criticises Dutch Stance on Romania, Bulgaria

The European parliament has called on the Netherlands and Finland to give up their objections to Romania and Bulgaria joining the EU open border area known as Schengen, according to Dutch media reports on Thursday.

The Netherlands has so far vetoed the move, saying neither country has done enough to combat corruption and organised crime.

The two countries joined the EU in 2007. Joining the Schengen zone would make the two countries responsible for policing a large part of the EU border.

Borders

Dutch members of the European parliament are divided on the issue. GroenLinks says the Netherlands’ position has been influenced by national politics — the Netherlands does not allow Romanians or Bulgarians to settle freely in the country.

According to website Public Service Europe, GroenLinks MEP Judith Sargentini called the use of the veto a ‘charade’ and accused the Dutch and Finnish governments of ‘cynically and deliberately misleading their public by playing along with incorrect claims that entry to Schengen equates to a carte blanche for all Romanian and Bulgarian citizens to work in Finland and the Netherlands’.

But both the VVD Liberals and Labour party oppose extending Schengen to cover the eastern European countries. There is ‘reasonable doubt’ as to whether they are ready to guard Europe’s external borders, Labour MP Emine Bozkurt said.

Immigration minister Gerd Leers told news agency ANP there had been no new developments which would allow the Netherlands to change its position.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Italy Warned Over Swordfish Net, Risks Court & Fine

(ANSAmed) — BRUSSELS, SEPTEMBER 29 — The European Commission decided to send Italy a letter of formal notice in which it asks the country to conform to a prior EU Court ruling on the illegal use of driftnetters in the Mediterranean Sea. Italy has two months to respond. The next step is the EU court with pecuniary penalties. Brussels requested for Italy to adopt appropriate measures to conform to a ruling dating back to October 2009 by the EU Court of Justice, and, together with EU Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, “regrets that Italy continues to violate the ban on driftnetters”. If they do not adopt “the appropriate measures within two months of receiving the letter, the Commission will turn to the EU court with heavy financial sanctions”.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Italy: ‘Blind’ Hairdresser Nabbed Riding Bike

Woman charged with defrauding state

(ANSA) — Ravenna, October 14 — An Italian hairdresser claiming disability benefit for blindness has been charged with defrauding the state after tax police filmed her working in her salon and riding a bike, officials said Friday.

The woman, 62, was judged “completely sight-impaired” by a medical panel and had been claiming benefits “for at least three years,” they said. Authorities will now try to get their money back and are suing for damages.

“Not only was she styling hair but we also filmed her cycling, crossing the street with a keen eye on the lights and even reading the paper,” police in Vigo near Ravenna said.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Italy: Halal Food Market Grows, 5 Bln-Euro Potential in Italy

(ANSAmed) — MILAN, OCTOBER 14 — Halal (conforming to Islamic rules) food is seeing double-digit growth the world over and even in Italy — due to rising interest by companies in the sector — it could soon become normal to find “Islamically correct” labelled products on supermarket shelves. “The development potential of this market,” said Hamid Roberto Distefano, the managing director of Halal Italia, an agency authorising Islamic certification of firms and products, “is around 4 or 5 billion euros.” Since the label was brought in a year ago on the initiative of Co.re.is. (Islamic Religious Community), sponsored by the Foreign, Economic Development, Health and Agricultural Policies ministries, 30 small and large enterprises have been certified and the same number are undergoing the procedure to do so. “It is a move,” Distefano said at a meeting organised by Promos today at the Milan Chamber of Commerce,” that many are making especially in relation to exports, even though enterprises are discovering a domestic market made up of 1.5 million Muslim citizens, Today, if they want to eat strictly halal food they stock up for the most part in small shops which often become ghettos. In this sense certification can aid integration by fostering the sharing of space and a shared consumption culture.” The phenomenon does not only concern tortellini and sausages. To the contrary: “We have begun to certify also cosmetics and pharmaceutical enterprises,” said the managing director, “a sector which is growing internationally by 30%, double that of halal food.”

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Ligurian Town Bans Non-Italian Restaurants

(AGI) Viareggio — The municipality of Forte dei Marmi, social capital of Versilia, issued an ordinance forbidding any restaurants that do not serve Italian food. Under the ruling there can be no Chinese, McDonald’s and kebab outlets. The town has many rich Russian tourists, so no more Russian dining, English pubs or fast food.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Parental Monitoring: Nursery School in Italy Introduces Classroom Webcam

After several notorious cases of abuse of very young students elsewhere in Italy, a private nursery school in Ravenna allows parents to check in on their kids — and teachers — any time of the day

For some Italian parents, that morning drop-off is apparently just too much to bear. Responding to both growing security fears and the everyday pangs of parenthood, a nursery school in the eastern city of Ravenna has installed a webcam system that will allow mothers and fathers to follow their child’s every move.

Parents at the small “Pargoli” private pre-school will be given a password to allow them to check-in online to have a look at their little ones, and their teachers, who will be monitored by two cameras installed in the one-room facility. The novelty comes in the wake of several episodes of alleged abuse by teachers in Italian schools, including one notorious case at the Cip Ciop school in the Tuscan city of Pistoia, where children were hit, locked in bathrooms and forced to stand still for long periods of times.

Giuseppe Greco, a Pargoli official, said the cameras “offer security and transparency” for both parents and school employees. But he emphasized that the system is not just about safety. “When parents leave us their child for 10 hours a day, it’s nice if they have a moment on their lunch break to be able to watch what their child is doing,” he said. Indeed, the idea for the classroom webcam came originally from the parents themselves, but required necessary approvals from local authorities before being implemented at the start of this school year. Greco said there will be no camera in the school’s bathroom, because of privacy concerns.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Strauss-Kahn Accused Over Prostitution Ring in Lille

(AGI) Paris — Dominique Strauss-Kahn is involved in an inquest into a prostitution ring in Lille, the city of Martine Aubry.

Strauss-Kahn, just having been absolved of accusations of rape in France after those in New York, has been mentioned in the inquest in Lille, where Socialist Martine Aubry is mayor. For this the former general director of the IMF has asked to be heard by the judges to end the “malicious insinuations” which are circulating about him in recent hours in France. The name of DSK seems to have been mentioned as a client of prostitutes operating in the Hotel Carlton.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Turkey Still Wants to Join the EU, Without Enthusiasm

(ANSAmed) — ANKARA, OCTOBER 14 — Turkey still wants to join the EU, but people in Turkey are getting tired of waiting and currently fewer than half of them support Turkey’s candidacy.

The country’s EU accession is blocked, according to Ankara, by mistakes made by the Union, because the country has nearly fully adjusted to European standards. On the other hand, Turkey is aware of the fact that the main problems Brussels has regard freedom of expression and the protection of women’s rights in Turkey. Two days after the publication of the European Commission report on the (lack of) progress made by Turkey on its path to the EU, this picture emerged from statements made by a Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and from articles on the report printed by newspapers in the country. Bulent Arinc, one of the four deputies of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and government spokesman, said yesterday on television that he is convinced that Turkey “in the end” will become a full member of the European Union. With those words the Deputy Prime Minister confirmed a concept that is also supported by European Affairs Minister and Chief Negotiator for EU Accession Egemen Bagis. He said that “it is our duty to do our homework and to apply the EU’s legal, democratic and economic criteria as good as we can.” Support from people in Turkey to the European process has dwindled on the other hand from 70% to 40%, and Arinc said that “mistakes made by the Union” are to be blamed for this, as Turkish news agency Anadolu reports. Arinc underlined, referring to Turkey’s economic and geopolitical power, that Turkey does not really need the EU and that the country could go ahead without it without any problem. “What counts is to reach their standards,” Arinc said referring to European standards, “regarding freedom of expression, rights and freedom, rule of law and civilian-military relations. Up to this point we have reached 90% of these standards.” Newspaper Vatan reports that the Ministry of Justice is working on the problems created by the limited freedom of expression and freedom of press — criticised in the EU report that was published the day before yesterday -, as well as the problem of the length of preventive detention in the country (up to ten years). The Ministry is examining the laws of several European countries, including Germany, Spain and Switzerland.

Hurriyet, one of the most popular Turkish newspapers and owned by a group that is at the centre of a hard clash with Premier Erdogan, underlines that the 2011 report — compared with earlier versions — of the European Commission on Turkey focuses more on violations of freedom of expression and violence against women. The newspaper points out that Brussels sees three problems with press freedom in Turkey: legislation, its interpretation and political relations with journalism. On Wednesday Minister Bagis rejected the accusations made by the Commission and claimed that none of the around 60 journalists locked in Turkish prisons (a figure that would be the highest in the world) have been confined for what they have written, but because they are suspected of complicity in a coup attempt against Erdogan.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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UK Ship Asked to Point Guns Away From Mrs Obama’s Suite

(AGI) London — The Daily Mail says the Royal Navy was ordered to turn its ship’s guns away from Mrs Obama’s hotel suite in June. The newspaper reports that an excess of zeal and paranoia on behalf of the US Secret Services (Treasury agents who protect the President’s family) led to a British Navy warship, HMS Edinburgh, being asked to turn its guns away from Mrs Obama’s suite, which happened to be the direction in which they were pointing.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Libya: Amnesty Says Pro-Gadaffi Prisoners Have Been ‘Tortured’

Tripoli, 13 Oct. (AKI) — Thousands of detainees have been tortured and ill-treated over the last few months, human rights group Amnesty International said in a new report.

“The new authorities in Libya must stamp out arbitrary detention and widespread abuse of detainees,” the Amnesty report “Detention Abuses Staining the New Libya” released on Thursday said.

Libya’s National Transitional Council has been Libya’s de facto ruler since rebels overthrew Muammar Gaddafi last month.

The London-based group said it uncovered a pattern of “beatings and ill-treatment of captured Gaddafi soldiers, suspected loyalists and alleged mercenaries in western Libya. In some cases there is clear evidence of torture in order to extract confessions or as a punishment.”

“There is a real risk that without firm and immediate action, some patterns of the past might be repeated. Arbitrary arrest and torture were a hallmark of Colonel Gaddafi’s rule,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Since late August, armed militia have arrested and detained as many as 2,500 people in Tripoli and al-Zawiya, Amnesty said.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Morocco: Consolidates Presence in Global Olive Production

(ANSAmed) — RABAT, OCTOBER 10 — Long-term programmes are consolidating Morocco’s presence on the list of most important olive producers in the world. Morocco not only produces large quantities of olives, but its products are also generally recognised to be of high quality.

Exports of untreated and refined olive oil jumped by 73.7% in the first eight months of 2011, compared with the same period in 2010. On a global level, Le Matin points out, Morocco takes seventh place in the ranking of exporters, with 2.6% of total exports.

Most olive oil made in Morocco goes to the European markets, despite the high import duties. Morocco is the world’s second exporter of olives, after Spain, with a total of 65 thousand tonnes, 13% of global production. The good figures could even be better, according to analysts, if Moroccan producers would be able to better adjust to market performance and to find more effective answers to the strategies of their competitors, both regarding quantity and quality.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Tawarga: Fires Blaze and Bad Blood Lingers in Libyan Ghost Town

Misratans have long accused population of poor dormitory town of murders, rapes and looting in alliance with pro-Gaddafi forces

A local police chief, who refused to give his name and ordered journalists out of the town, said the fires were the work of arsonists in the pay of Muammar Gaddafi who were hoping to tarnish the reputation of the new authorities.

Tawarga is a poor dormitory town 20 minutes from Misrata, whose mostly black population fled in August when rebel forces captured it.

Today it is a ghost town, its modest grey breeze block houses empty, the doors broken open, with green flags indicating support for the Gaddafi regime still fluttering from rooftops.

Misratans have long blamed the people of Tawarga for murders, rapes and looting in alliance with pro-Gaddafi forces during fighting in March and April.

It is common to hear Misratans making derogatory remarks about Tawarga’s black population, coupled with the hope that the population, who fled to southern Libya, will never return.

On Tuesday homes and shops were set ablaze around the town, some fires starting even as journalists arrived to investigate.

The fires came the day that Amnesty International issued a report accusing rebel forces of crimes against pro-Gaddafi civilians, and urged Mustafa Abdul Jalil, chairman of the National Transitional Council, to do more to prevent these crimes.

While the report blamed the Gaddafi regime for most of the abuses catalogued, it said reprisal attacks against dark skinned Libyans and foreigners were continuing in rebel-held areas.

The police chief in Tawarga said his forces where hunting for those responsible for the blazes, which raged unchecked.

“They are starting these fires to make the rebels look bad,” he said, refusing to give a formal interview or show his credentials. “You must leave. It is dangerous for you. They might shoot you.”

He insisted rebel units were combing the town looking for the miscreants. The only rebel units in sight were relaxing outside a shopping precinct that is their base in the town centre, unconcerned by the fires raging around them.

Some may question how arsonists in the pay of the Gaddafi regime could operate in a town nearly 100 miles from the nearest frontline, deserted of all but rebel units, and surrounded by army bases and checkpoints.

Bad blood between Tawarga and Misrata has lingered from before the war, when many Tawarga residents, their families originally from southern Libya, performed service jobs in Misrata. Misratans accuse them of being badly behaved and unruly and frequently make derogatory remarks about the skin colour of Tawargans…

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Tunisia: Rising Exports in Leather Sector, Italy Top Client

(ANSAmed) — TUNIS, OCTOBER 4 — The dressed leather sector, a major industry in Tunisia, recorded significant increases in the first 8 months of the year, with a 12.4% rise in exports from 315 million euros in 2010 to 354 million euros in 2011. In the same period of the year, imports in the sector registered a 7.2% increase (from 212 million euros to 222 million euros). The figures, reported by TAP, were contained in the monthly report by the National Leather and Footwear Centre, which listed Italy as the top client in the sector. France and Germany both followed in the rankings. On a strategic level, a sharp downturn in exports to Spain of 20.3% was also noted.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Tunisia: Shopkeepers in Tunis Medina Against Tour Operators

(ANSAmed) — TUNIS, OCTOBER 10 — In Arab cities the medina traditionally forms the commercial heart, and Tunis is no exception to this rule. The medina of Tunis lies a few dozen metres from Bourghiba avenue, the most important street in the city and therefore the stage of events and protests. It is a medina as all others: crowded, confusing, noisy, a tangle of scents and sounds as not found in any other part of the city.

There are stores that have been managed by families of shopkeepers for many generations, some selling leather objects, some clothes, others snacks or, most importantly, jewellery. It is a world of its own, with only a few simple rules: people who sell make money, and if they have to lower their prices to sell they can do so. These rules were used in the past, but today they are challenged by a world of ruthless competition, in which other elements have come into play, which can make or break traders in this area. In fact a rather odd system has been created in the medina, that has allowed travel agencies that have managed to draw back tourists to the city to do business with a few specific shops during their tour through the medina, taking their clients only to those places, making their owners rich. This system is obviously not appreciated by the other shop owners, who see large number of tourists pass by headed for a small selection of shops. The shopkeepers who do not benefit of this system have lowered their prices, and now have started an unusual protest in this region: the lockout. On October 17 these shopkeepers in the medina will close their stores, fully supported by their unions. In their view, the system represents a monopoly “adopted by some travel agencies who take their groups of tourists to just a few shops.” Shopkeepers and craftsmen in the medina now say that it is not the daily income of shops that it at stake, but the future of what should not be seen as just a commercial district of Tunis. The medina stands for history, like all others, but also for a social and economic element that is vital for a city like Tunis. But this, according to the shopkeepers, seems to be of little importance to those who should intervene.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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‘River of Poison’ Rebirth Underway, Soon to be Reserve

ANSAmed) — HAIFA (ISRAEL), OCTOBER 10 — Israel’s most polluted river, which has been held up for years as a drain for harmful and even carcinogenic substances, in the heart of the biblical land that is supposed to see the flow of “milk and honey”, is about to be turned into an ecological reserve.

The notorious Kishon, known as the “poisonous river of the Holy Land” runs for 70 kilometres through the north of the country and receives the waters of a large area of 1,100 square kilometres, before flowing in to the bay of Haifa. For decades along its course, it has gathered the highly polluted waste of a number of chemical industries. Inhabitants of the area often say that “there is more chemical waste than water in the Kishon”. In truth, the situation has partly improved in recent times thanks to the efforts of various governments. But there was still much work left to do. Soon, however, after the latest commitments undertaken in July, the Kishon is due to become an example of ecological rehabilitation.

Benyamin Netanyahu’s government has drawn up a plan for the careful drainage od the waters, which, according to recent comments by Yishayahu Bar-Or, a director at Israel’s Environment Ministry, “at their worst were more acidic than Coca Cola. S much so that not even bacteria could survive in them”. “The first step is to dredge a thick layer of sediments (hydrocarbons and heavy metals) that have gathered over the last 30-40 years,” Bar-Or explained. Estimates say that there are 440,000 cubic metres of debris, which will then need to be drained. The work, which has begun in earnest in recent days, will last three years. By the end of the process, as well as finally clean water, Israeli citizens should also be able to enjoy 60 hectares of natural park land, which is to be built on the banks of the river.

A few years ago, the Kishon’s disastrous reputation spread across continents, as a result of what the media at the time dubbed “the naval commando affair”. In 2001, it emerged that there was a much higher incidence of cancer among veterans of an elite unit of the Israeli Navy that had been trained close to the river. A study by the University of Jerusalem linked at least 20 tumours to diving exercises carried out by the soldiers in the contaminated waters, and Israel’s Ministry of Defence was forced to pay damages to the families of the victims.

Later on, Greenpeace environmentalists also pointed the finger at the “carcinogenic river”. But bad international publicity at least led to the first positive changes, beginning at the start of the 2000s, when an embryonic project for a partial clean-up of the area got underway. Until now, though, no-one had imagined that such an ecological monster could be transformed into the centre of a future “green lung”. Yet this is the aim of the ambitious project approved in July by the Israeli government, which has already allocated 220 million shekels (around 45 million euros) for the plan.

The plan’s foremost advocate is the high-flying Environment Minister, Gilad Erdan, who has committed himself to ensuring that some of the industries most guilty for decades of pollution contribute economically to the process. First among them will be those who are or were state-owned. A further 10% of costs, meanwhile, will be undertaken by local authorities of the Kishon basin.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Fox-Gate: Ties to US ‘Tea Party’ And Mossad Emerge

(AGI) London — 48 hours after Liam Fox’s resignation as Defense Minister new data has emerged in the British press. The information deals with his ties with the US conservative right Tea-Party, and contacts between his friend-advisor, Adam Werritty, at the root of his fall, with the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. The Independent on Sunday reports that Fox’s friend “was involved in meetings with Israeli secret service to topple President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad”.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Kuwait: Royal Family Member Sentenced to Death for Murder

(ANSAmed) — DOHA, OCTOBER 14 — A member of Kuwait’s royal family has been sentenced to death for killing his nephew. The news is reported today by several Gulf newspapers, which specify that sheikh Faisal Abdullah Al Sabah has been found guilty of shooting and killing sheikh Basel Salem Al Sabah during a discussion that took place in 2010. The conflict regarded the victim’s position as chairman of a sports club.

The verdict could be revised in appeal and before the Supreme Court. It is not the first time a member of the Kuwaiti royal family gets the death sentence. In 2007 the same happened to sheikh Talal Nasser Al Sabah, who was sentenced to death and to a fine of 35,000 USD for drug dealing.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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UAE: New Approach to Irrigation Cuts Water Waste

(ANSAmed) — DUBAI, OCTOBER 10 — Two and a half litres of water against the currently used 12 litres per square metre: the challenge faced by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) against total aridity, extreme temperatures and intense evaporation is taking important steps forward thanks to a pilot project for irrigation in progress on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi is a pioneer in the innovation of renewable energy sources, investing heavily in this sector, despite the fact that it is one of the main oil exporters in the world. The emirate is also redrawing the map of consumption related to its lifestyle, investing in research and alternative projects. The environmental impact made by the UAE is one of the highest in the world, also due to its lack of water, high temperatures and luxurious lifestyle. The project, an initiative of Aldar, one of the most important property firms in the country, is an underground irrigation system that uses layers of gravel and waste material, pipes and water chambers. The system makes it possible to irrigate land with minimal loss of water through dispersion or evaporation. With temperatures rising over 40 degrees for more than six months per year, evaporation is one of the most serious problems with traditional irrigation in the entire Gulf region. “This system reduces the use of water by 80% compared with surface irrigation,” said Bart Rehbein, director of the project. Rehbein added that “underground dispersion is also minimal because the water reaches the plant roots directly.” The efficiency of the system is even more obvious when applied to local plants, shrubs and flowers growing on the edges of the desert, which are widely used in cities and private villas. The new approach could also be a turning point — environmentally and economically — for the maintenance of the many golf courses in the country. Despite the fact that the country has no lakes, rivers and that it rains for an average of three days per year, less than 120 ml, the UAE maintains 18 golf courses by desalinising seawater and reusing waste water. No in-depth studies have been carried out on the amount of water needed to keep these courses in a good state, but Yas Link in Abu Dhabi uses an average of 5,000 cubic metres of water per day in winter, and 7,000 in summer.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Kazakh Communist Party Suspended for Supporting Strike

Kazakhstan’s government is bent on crushing the months-long oil workers strike with prison and fines for those who dare support strikers. Amid world indifference, the conditions for workers have gone from bad to worse with many families are running out of food. So far, one person committed suicide and more are killed by “persons unknown”.

Almaty (AsiaNews/Agencies) — The Communist Party of Kazakhstan (CPK) has had its activities suspended for six months because it co-founded a movement to monitor an ongoing strike by oil workers. Management at KazMunaiGaz continues to reject workers’ demands, making their predicament even more dramatic.

A court in Almaty ruled on 4 October that the CPK violated the law on public organisations by creating, along with the unregistered Algha (Forward) party, the People’s Front movement, which has been monitoring the ongoing mass strike in the western province of Manghystau.

CPK leader Ghaziz Aldamzharov told RFE/RL that he was fined in what he describes a “political” verdict against his party’s support for the protest.

In post-Soviet Kazakhstan, ruled by President Nursultan Nazarbayev, the CPK is one of the main opposition parties, and its suspension might be a prelude to its exclusion from next year’s elections.

The situation of thousands of striking workers is getting worse at the plants of the Qarazhanbasmunai and OzenMunaiGaz oil and gas corporations in Manghystau, which are controlled by KazMunaiGaz. They have been on strike for nearly five months for better wages and the right to set up their own trade unions.

Backed by the government and helped by world indifference, KazMunaiGaz has rejected any concessions. It has also denied “false” rumours about talks with workers or that it was willing to rehire 989 workers it had sacked for participating in the strike. Timur Kulibaev, Nazarbaev’ son-in-law, said workers “violated labour laws”.

Meanwhile, a lawyer for the Qarazhanbasmunai oil company’s labour unions, Natalya Sokolova, was quickly found guilty in August of “igniting social hatred” and given a six-year jail term. Several of the fired workers have been brought to trial on charges of organising unlawful mass gatherings.

At the same time, the families of hundreds of striking workers are running out of food.

On 3 October, Abai Abenov, a 30-year-old electrician hanged himself. His is the third death purportedly connected with the ongoing strike. Saule Qarabalaeva, 18, a daughter of Qudaibergen Qarabalaev, a leading activist for the striking oil workers, disappeared on 21 August and was found dead four days later. A second activist, Zhaqsylyq Turbaev, was killed by unknown assailants the same month.

Most of the 10,000 workers who went on strike in May are back to work. Others resist with the support of volunteers, saying that they cannot live “like slaves”.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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No Casualties in Attack on Italian Troops in Herat

(AGI) Washington -While on a visit to Washington for a series of meetings, Defense Minister La Russa reported there had been no casualties in the attack on Italian troops 30 kilometres from Herat. The minister emphasized that italian troops were “assisted by air support when the allied forces sent two planes and a helicopter” .

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Pakistani Islamic Extremists March in Support of Assassin Mumtaz Qadri

The former Chief Justice of Lahore assumes the defense of the assassin of Salman Taseer. The lawyers are threatening to strike if the magistrate who issued the sentence is not removed. A human chain “against the government” that does not protect “the hero of Islam”. Christian leaders’ fears: the country in danger of chaos and anarchy.

Islamabad (AsiaNews) — The Islamic fundamentalist fringe, the association of lawyers in Rawalpindi, a famous judge of the court of Lahore and thousands of Pakistanis are on the streets: a large chunk of the country is challenging the judiciary and the government, guilty of condemning to death Mumtaz Qadri, the bodyguard and self-confessed murderer of the Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, who was killed on January 2 for defending the Christian Asia Bibi and asking for changes to the blasphemy laws. Speaking to AsiaNews Catholic leaders confirm the “mass reaction” of religious parties against the ruling and observe “with great sorrow” a nation that is “in danger of falling into chaos and anarchy.”

Sahibzada Fazle Karim, president of the Sunni Ittehad Council, has announced for 21 November next, a human chain under the slogan: “Bring down the government.” According to the extremist leader, a long line of people will link Rawalpindi — home to the court that handed down the sentence against Qadri — and Karachi in southern Pakistan, demanding the resignation of the executive. “We will not let the government — said Sahibzada Fazle Karim — keep hostage the hero of Islam, who killed a blasphemous infidel.” He then launches an appeal to all Muslims, to fight together against “the government, the Ahmadis and the West” accused of “conspiracy against Islam.”

In a surprise decision, the former head of the Lahore High Court has decided to take the legal defense of Qadri in the appeal process in Islamabad. “ Qadri’s gesture is justified — says the judge — as one of a true Muslim.” The members of the Association of lawyers of Rawalpindi have also given the government an ultimatum: if within five days Judge Syed Pervez Ali Shah — author of the sentence to death — is not transferred a lawyers strike will be launched nationwide. Meanwhile, the city attorney has suspended the enforceability of the death sentence, pending appeal.

Meanwhile, among the Catholic leaders in Pakistan th e fear of a violent drift of the protest remains: for Msgr. Lawrence Saldanha, archbishop emeritus of Lahore, there was a “massive response” of Islamic religious parties, which so far, “the authorities have been able to control.” For Mgr. Rufin Anthony, Bishop of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, the fact a respected judge decides to assume the defense of a criminal is not a “good sign” for the judicial system in Pakistan. Not only for the act of killing itself, clarifies the prelate, but for “the justification for killing anyone who does not share your opinion.”

The bishop of the capital, warns that the country may plunge into chaos and anarchy, becoming a place where “the killers are considered heroes.” And note a contradiction: If Taseer’s murder was justified, why is the Islamic Tehreek movement offering a sum of money “to wash the blood spilled with money.”

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Hong Kong: Appeals Court Decides Less Freedom for Hong Kong Schools

Despite a long and hard battle, led by Cardinal Zen, the Territory judges reject an appeal against order requiring private and religious schools to set up monitoring bodies to have the state funds. Bishop Tong: “We have a commitment, we will respect it.”

Hong Kong (AsiaNews) — The Court of Appeals has rejected the appeal submitted by the diocese in the Territory against the amendment to the Education Ordinance 2004 — adopted in July of that year by the Territory Legislative Council — which requires schools in part supported by the government to introduce control bodies for administration and teaching.

The bishop of Hong Kong, Mgr. John Tong-hon said: “We have a social responsibility in education, and will continue to take it forward.” Cecilia Wong Yeuk-han, a spokesman for the diocese, said: “Schools are an integral part of our mission and all must obey the law. We will continue to bring forward and look after the interests of the students until we do so in accordance with our beliefs. “

The law provides several benefits to schools which implement the Ordinance: insurance to school personnel, flexibility in managing funds, an annual bonus of 350 thousand Hong Kong dollars (about 35 thousand Euros). According to the amendment, however, each school financially supported by the government must prepare an internal organizing committee (School Management Committee, SMC) with a separate legal status from the educational institutions (Sponsoring Bodies, Sb).

The government argues that this allows for greater transparency and greater democracy, but for school managers it is just a ploy to interfere in the internal management and undermine the freedom of education. Schools that refuse to enforce the decree, moreover, are penalized: Several Christian leaders have called it “discriminatory and racist”.

According to Justice Kemal Bokhary “the appeal failed because the legislation in question does not prevent religious organizations from appointing a majority of people close to them in their schools.” The 357 schools — of about 850 total — which until now have refused to implement the amendment.

Timothy Ha Wing-ho, the education adviser to the Anglican archbishop, confirmed that 80 schools will now implement it: “But we are very angry. With this law people who do not share our values will be able to join the Board of Directors. “ Cardinal Zen, bishop emeritus of the Territory, has repeatedly stated that schools governed by the diocese “can not live without freedom: if the law does not change, we are prepared to close them.”

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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ALP Bites the Hands That Voted for It

WATCHING their federal government disintegrate over the past 18 months, most Australians have been more inclined to shake their heads than protest. Yet, as we await what must be an inevitable leadership change and contemplate the ramifications for left-of-centre politics, the reaction to the protests provides a window into Labor’s malaise.

The response to anti-carbon tax protesters reveals the Left’s hypocrisy and its fatal alienation from the people it seeks to represent.

A few dozen, largely middle-aged, protesters rudely interrupted parliament last week with their chant of “no mandate, democracy is dead”. From the floor of the chamber, Parliamentary Secretary and Member for Eden-Monaro, Mike Kelly, tweeted: “Couldn’t quite hear, thought it might have been something about dental plates and brain dead.”

One of the nation’s most senior union officials, Australian Workers Union National Secretary Paul Howes, also took to Twitter. “And yes Tony this is [what happens] when you start whipping up extremists and giving them a platform. A people’s revolt often attracts revolting people.”

— Hat tip: Nilk

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Life Story of Iraqi “Grandson” of Mother Teresa Becomes YouTube Sensation

Emmanuel Kelly, Saved by the Missionaries of Charity during the conflict, and adopted together with his brother by an Australian Catholic, carries on his body the marks of chemical warfare. His audition for a popular Australian reality show moves audiences: five million hits on Youtube.

Melbourne (AsiaNews / Agencies) — The video of a young Iraqi, Emmanuel Kelly, auditioning for a popular Australian reality TV show has become a Youtube sensation with upwards of five million visits. Emmanuel’s story which he tells before beginning his audition is truly moving, how his life was changed by the sisters of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and an Australian Catholic foster mother.

Emmanuel does not know when he was born, but he does know that he owes his life to the nuns who found him, along with his brother Ahmed as infants. “We were left in a war zone, in a shoe box,” he recalls. The brothers retain traces of the chemical warfare in Iraq, suffering a variety of malformations of their arms and legs.

Moira Kelly, a well-known Australian Catholic dedicated to humanitarian work, and who has worked for years with Mother Teresa of Calcutta, saw the two children in the Missionaries of Charity orphanage in Baghdad, adopted them and raised them in Australia, where they recieved care and rehabilitation. Kelly decided to devote her life to charity when, as a child, she saw a documentary on the work of Mother Teresa. Today she runs the charity Children First Foundation.

Emmanuel loves to sing. His audition for the reality show was the most applauded. His brother Ahmed, aims to reach the Paralympics in London in 2012. Emmanuel was unable to reach the final because of the jury decision, which resulted in vehement protests by viewers, but he had the satisfaction of becoming a smash hit on YouTube.

If you want to see and hear his audition, here’s the link:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UVUzAUiEMY

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Kenyan Troops Enter Somalia to Pursue Al-Shabab Militants

(AGI) Nairobi — Kenyan troops have crossed the border into Somalia to pursue militants of Al Qaeda-linked group al-Shabab.

The Kenyan troops moved into Somalia in agreement with Somali government forces to pursue al-Shabab militants who kidnapped two Spanish and two French women in the past few days. “Kenya violated the territorial rights of Somalia by entering our holy land, but I assure you that they will return disappointed, God willing. Mujahideen fighters will force them to test the pain of the bullets” a senior al-Shabab figure said.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Perfect Outreach Tool for Relief Groups: UNHCR’s Melissa Fleming on Social Media

The women sit in line, waiting under the blistering sun to receive much-needed famine aid. Their faces show pain and determination.

This scene from a Mogadishu camp was captured in a photo and tweeted by Melissa Fleming through her personal Twitter account on Sept. 1. Fleming is the head of communications and spokeswoman for the United Nations high commissioner for refugees.

Fleming accompanied her boss, António Guterres, during a recent visit to Somalia, part of a major effort by UNHCR and its partners to scale up humanitarian assistance in the volatile and drought-hit country. She reported about his tour of Dollow, a town bordering Ethiopia, on Aug. 30, and of a settlement for internally displaced persons found on the grounds of the capital’s decaying cathedral two days later.

Fleming “is personally pushing a social media strategy” at UNHCR, she told Devex. And by the looks of it, her personal campaign is paying off: The U.N. refugee agency has more than 100,000 Facebook likes and more than 1.2 million Twitter followers, quite a rarity among its contemporaries.

Aside from Twitter and Facebook, UNHCR is using YouTube to host professionally produced videos, and Flickr to publish photos.

“A number of our country offices have their own distinct regional or local profiles and communicate in major languages such as Arabic, Spanish and French,” she said in an email.

In this exclusive interview, Fleming discusses UNHCR’s social media strategy and why it is important to invest in social media.

— Hat tip: Nilk

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UK: Ignored for Ten Years… Abandoned Wife’s Pleas to Deport Immigrant Husband Who Flouted Law

The 32-year-old, who has asked to remain anonymous after threats from her husband’s family, spoke out after learning to her horror that he has been told by the Home Office that he can stay in the UK.

She has spent a decade enduring his taunts about how he has taken the immigration system for a ride.

She even took police to the house where the man was hiding — only for him to escape via the back door when bungling officers left it uncovered.

Worse, she says her life is ‘ruined’ because she can never recover from the shame of Sharia law divorce — even though they are still married under British law.

Her protest has been taken up by Deputy Commons Speaker Nigel Evans, who is collecting a dossier of similar cases for Home Secretary Theresa May.

He said: ‘It is scandalous that this lady spent ten years telling the police and the Home Office of her husband’s illegal behaviour — yet they did nothing.

‘It makes our immigration system look like a joke.’

The incident came to light after Ministers said two thirds of people who come to the UK on marriage visas have never set foot in the country before.

The Government is proposing several new curbs, including encouraging people to report suspected illegal immigrants, outlawing forced marriages and making families of would-be immigrants pay a cash bond.

The woman, who contacted The Mail on Sunday, is a respected member of her community in Blackburn, Lancashire.

The daughter of Pakistani immigrants, she was born in the UK, is ‘proud to consider myself English’ and has a full-time professional career.

She said she had been happy to enter an arranged marriage because she considered it ‘part of her culture’.

Aged 21, she went to Pakistan to meet her husband, who was her cousin, and they got married.

She returned to Britain, where she bought and renovated a house while she waited for her husband to join her.

She said: ‘It wasn’t a love marriage, though I believed love would come after we married.

‘But eight weeks after he arrived, he moved out and moved in with an uncle who lived round the corner.

‘I was very shocked. We phoned his mother back in Pakistan and she said “just give him a visa and throw him out”.

We couldn’t believe it. They had been planning it all along. I had kept his passport, and he sent people round to get it. I refused.

I knew he would destroy it to remove any evidence of when he had entered the country.

‘Then he started harassing me. He even sent his grandmother to berate me. He pushed his way into my mum and dad’s house and abused them.

I had to call the police to stop him. The Home Office and the UK Borders Agency said they couldn’t do anything until his one-year marriage visa expired.

‘All the time he taunted me over the way he had got into the country.

On one occasion I tracked him down myself. I called the police and they knocked on the front door of the house where he was staying.

He got out via the back and has never been seen again.

‘Recently I was informed he has been given leave to remain here for three years.

He qualifies for benefits even though he has never paid a penny in tax because he works for cash illegally.

Incredibly, he is now using legal aid to divorce me. He wants to marry someone else to increase his chances of staying here for good.

‘I have been humiliated. I obtained a Sharia divorce on the grounds of desertion, but we are still man and wife under English law. My life is ruined. As a Muslim once you are divorced, no one will marry you.

‘I have been telling the authorities for years that he should be sent back, but they have done nothing.

The people who suffer most are genuine immigrants who come here legally because it makes people hostile to them.’

A spokesman for Immigration Minister Damian Green said: ‘For too long the immigration system was allowed to get out of control, decisions were not taken quickly enough and that meant those who should not have been allowed to stay were able to do so.

‘The Government is toughening the system to prevent abuse.’

— Hat tip: Gaia

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UK: Welcome to the Slums of Southall: How Unscrupulous Landlords Have Illegally Built Squalid Homes for Immigrants

It looks like something which could be seen in the hit film Slumdog Millionaire.

But these shocking images — which show garden sheds and garages transformed into dodgy homes for immigrants — are not from the slums of Mumbai. Incredibly, they are from a west London suburb.

According to The Sun, the sheds in Southall have been built by rogue landlords who are cashing in on newcomers to the country.

They are completely hidden from view from the street and are a clear breach of strict planning laws.

Illegal immigrants have made some of the tiny shacks their homes, some of which are highly dangerous.

Rats and cockroaches roam around the units, while others have poor wiring and sanitation.

Others are adorned with flat-screen TVs, power showers and central heating…

— Hat tip: Gaia

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Call Off the Thought Police

WITH its intolerance and standover tactics, the more militant arm of the gay lobby is shooting itself in the foot.

Saying anything that is not wholly supportive of the gay-rights agenda is the new taboo—with same-sex marriage and adoption the hottest of hot-button topics at the frontline of the culture wars.

And when Labor holds its national conference in December, its ugliest internal battle is likely to be over gay marriage. If eventually Labor decides to allow its MPs a conscience vote on the issue, expect the traditionalists to be singled out for a relentless campaign of vicious treatment.

— Hat tip: Nilk

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	Financial Crisis
»	Italy: Thugs Heading to Rome for “Indignados” March Damage Train
»	Italy: Thugs Vandalise Central Rome’s Via Cavour During Protests
»	Italy: Organised All-Black Mob Join Rome’s Indignados Rally
»	Italy: Anti-Austerity Indignados Occupy Massenzio Basilica
»	Italy: ‘Indignants’ Assault Bank in Rome Center
»	Italy: Police Charge ‘Black Bloc’ Protesters
»	Italy: Police Use Teargas and Water Cannon Against Demonstrators
»	Italy: Indignados Barricade Blocks Rome’s Via Appia
»	Like Draghi, Geithner Understands ‘Indignados’ Concerns
	USA
»	Anti-Islam Message Canceled
»	Obama to Abandon Key Health Care Priority Due to Funding
	Canada
»	Mosque Banquet Pays Tribute to Local Muslim Athletes
»	Town Ad Gives Residents Correct Mosque Info — Mayor
	Europe and the EU
»	DSK Tried to Kiss Banon, But She Refused and He Let Her Go
»	UK: Anglers Angry at Vicky Park’s Fish Plans
»	UK: Douglas Murray: I’m Not a Bigot But Paul Goodman is
»	UK: First Defendant to be Convicted Under New Bribery Act is a Court Clerk
»	UK: Housing Association Rejects Plans to Save Historic Jewish Hospital
»	UK: One Society Many Cultures Conference Tomorrow [15 October 2011]
»	UK: The Romance of Islam [Paul Goodman, 3 April 2010]
	North Africa
»	Coptic Church Construction and Egyptian Muslim ‘Emasculation’
»	Egypt: Truth and Justice Not Lies and Superficiality on Massacre of Copts
	Israel and the Palestinians
»	Former IDF Official: Shalit Rescue Efforts Were ‘A Resounding Failure’
	Russia
»	Permission to Build a Catholic Church in Pskov Denied
	South Asia
»	India: Orissa: Hindu Extremists Plant a Flag on the Rubble of a Church Under Reconstruction
	Far East
»	Hong Kong High Court Grants Permanent Residency to the Filipina Maid
»	Libraries Opened at Over 400 Mosques in China
	Latin America
»	Brazilian Prosecutors File for Battisti Visa to be Revoked
	Immigration
»	Netherlands: Mushroom Grower Exploited Illegal Bulgarian Workers
»	Netherlands: Wilders Calls EU Commissioner a Hippie and ‘Terrible Person’

Italy: Thugs Heading to Rome for “Indignados” March Damage Train

(AGI) Frosinone — Five young men from Caserta province have been arrested by police for criminal damage and theft. The five, on the 2496 interregional train, stole a hammer and smashed all the windows in two coaches. The conductor stopped the train at Cassino and the five, heading for the demonstration in Rome, were captured and taken to the local police station.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Italy: Thugs Vandalise Central Rome’s Via Cavour During Protests

(AGI) Rome — A group of close to 200 balaclava-wearing demonstrators wreak havoc in central Rome. With indignados protests underway, the group proceeded to vandalise premises in Via Cavour and cover the street in graffiti slogans, such as “put up a fight, not tents” and “pelting, not saving.” .

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Italy: Organised All-Black Mob Join Rome’s Indignados Rally

(AGI) Rome — A group of close to 100 organised thugs has joined indignados rallies in central Rome, today. Wearing all-black attire, balaclavas and headscarves, the organised mob joined the rally in Rome’s central Via Cavour, sporting slogans such as “we are not asking for the future, we are taking the present” and soiling the premises with graffiti such as “stop working” and “burn the banks.” ..

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Italy: Anti-Austerity Indignados Occupy Massenzio Basilica

(AGI) A group of anti-austerity demonstrators has occupied the square leading into the Massenzio Basilica. The “indignados” scaled the wall to hold a red flag and black banner aloft. A great number of people are descending from the Fori Imperiali.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Italy: ‘Indignants’ Assault Bank in Rome Center

(AGI) Rome — A window and an ATM machine at a Rome branch of the Cassa di Risparimio di Rimini bank. The assault on the credit institution was carried out by a group of Black Bloc protesters who, from the beginning of the demonstration have dedicated themselves to sacking and vandalism. Many of the (other) protesters have blamed the masked perpetrators, asking them to leave.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Italy: Police Charge ‘Black Bloc’ Protesters

(AGI) Rome — Police lines have charged nearly 100 Black Bloc protesters in Via Merulana, who moved and set afire rubbish bins. The bins were then used as barricades in the street. The police have shot teargas cannisters. Charges by Rome police contine to disperse the protesters who have started an authentic urban guerilla conflict. Armoured vehicles have intervened in Via Labicana, where bottles, paper bombs and other objects continue to be thrown.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Italy: Police Use Teargas and Water Cannon Against Demonstrators

(AGI) Rome — Police used teargas and water cannon against activists in Rome’s Piazza San Giovanni as peaceful protestors dispersed. Families who had joined the protests are leaving the area, frightened by the bottle-throwing, paper bombs and other objects being chucked by angry demonstrators at Police trying to break up the crowds.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Italy: Indignados Barricade Blocks Rome’s Via Appia

(AGI) Rome- A veritable barricade built with refuse bins in the middle of Rome’s via Appia is blocking traffic. The barricade serves as a buffer for the black bloc urban guerrilla, who are hunched behind the wastebins throwing paper bombs. What is even more significant than the possible turn events could take is the throng of youths dressed in black, parading the streets and seemingly awaiting developments.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Like Draghi, Geithner Understands ‘Indignados’ Concerns

(AGI) Paris — The US Treasury Secretary said on television that he is sympathetic to the international demonstrations. The Governor of the Bank of Italy, Mario Draghi, had said he understood how the activists felt, but hoped that the demonstrations would not degenerate. Both Timothy Geithner and Mr Draghi are in Paris for a meeting of the G20 Finance Committee. Mr Geithner said that he sympathised with the concerns of the “Occupy Wall Street” movement, adding that what is happening in America is an expression of the fear that the US economy is not growing fast enough.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Anti-Islam Message Canceled

Koran-burning Ann Barnhardt’s appearance before Loveland group scrapped

At her mildest, Ann Barnhardt appears on a poster, dressed in pink high-heeled shoes, toting a pink AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, standing side-by-side with a heroic portrait of Joan of Arc. At her most extreme, the slim, dark-haired woman with wide, bright eyes appears before an American flag, holding a copy of the Quran bookmarked with raw bacon, reading pages aloud, tearing them out and setting them ablaze in a large vase.

Barnhardt’s tough, explicitly illustrated anti-Islamic message first played in Loveland in Sept. 20 at a meeting of the Loveland 912 Project. “She’s out there. That’s for sure,” 912 Project chairman Tom Buchanan said. “I don’t think we’ll be asking her back again anytime soon.” Yet Barnhardt was scheduled, until a cancellation on Friday, to bring her presentation back to the region again tonight at a meeting of the Colorado Conservative Union, a group for which Buchanan also serves as chairman.

He said Friday he had learned only recently that Barnhardt would return, and that he had not planned to attend tonight’s event, having already hosted her at the 912 gathering.

“She’s got some pretty strong convictions, and those strong convictions attract people,” Buchanan said of Barnhardt. “These days, we’re looking for leaders, no matter how wrong they might be. Maybe that bluntness that she has is what attracts people.” Barnhardt’s appearance had been set for 6 p.m. tonight at Johnson’s Corner Truck Stop and Café.

‘Not In My House’

But owner Chauncey Taylor, upon hearing about the speaker and her presentation, contacted the CCU organizers on Friday and canceled the event. “I don’t want anyone who is espousing violence, or inviting violence upon themselves, to be here,” Taylor said after investigating Barnhardt’s website and talking with event organizers. “My duty is to keep this a safe and uplifting place for our customers and employees. Anyone who is going to advocate violence is not welcome. That’s not acceptable, not in my world, not in my house. If you’re espousing hate, please don’t come to my house.”

Barnhardt, who described herself in an interview Friday as a “traditional, pre-Vatican II, Latin-Mass Catholic,” rejects any distinction between Islamic extremists and Muslims in general. She said also that she rejects the notion that Islam is a religion, and that Muslims therefore enjoy First Amendment protection. “It’s not a religion,” she said. “It’s a totalitarian political system. It is a seditious system, working against every government on the face of the earth.” In the pages of a translated Quran, Barnhardt says she finds evidence that its contents also advocate “homosexuality, pedophilia, necrophilia, bestiality, … oh, and incest. That, too.” The CCU newsletter advertising Barnhardt’s appearance warns of “the graphic and potentially offensive content of our speaker’s material,” and says children will not be allowed to attend — and for good reason.

‘Absolutely offensive’

“It is not potentially offensive,” Barnhardt said. “It is absolutely offensive. I have photographs of female genital mutilation” that she says are part and parcel of Islam. “I’m going to show the information that needs to be shown,” she said. “This business of burying your head in the sand has got to stop.” Yes, Barnhardt has received death threats, most recently after the posting of her Quran-burning video on YouTube, where it has been translated into 10 languages including Arabic. “Watch your back,” a Muslim living in Britain wrote. “I’m going to kill you when I find you.”

Barnhardt did not seek police help. She replied, “You don’t need to ‘find’ me,” then listed her address in Lonetree. “Luckily for you, there are daily direct flights from Heathrow to Denver,” she wrote, then gave detailed directions to her home. “Just do me one favor. Please wear body armor. I have some new ammunition that I want to try out.” Her broad-brush treatment of the followers of Islam calls for a solution to what she calls “Muslim creep,” a movement that she says will destroy the nation. “Mass deportation is the solution,” she said, adding that American-born Muslims will have a choice. “If they refuse to renounce Islam, try them for treason,” she said. “If we don’t act, we’ll be living under the tyranny of a Marxist-Islamic jackboot.”

— Hat tip: JP

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Obama to Abandon Key Health Care Priority Due to Funding

(AGI) Washington- Barack Obama will have to give up one of his core health reform priorities. The ‘Community Living Assistance Services and Supports’ insurance plan for long-term treatment had to be dropped due to costs being “unsustainable”.

Healthcare Minister Kathleen Sebelius made the formal announcement.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Mosque Banquet Pays Tribute to Local Muslim Athletes

Muslim athletes and their unique contributions to Greater Toronto will be honoured this Sunday at a banquet in Scarborough. The Islamic Foundation of Toronto decided on a “sports” theme this year for the annual Night of Appreciation it hosts at its Nugget Avenue mosque on Oct. 16. Among those recognized at the dinner will be Leslie Woodyatt, a female athlete from Toronto who is on seven Special Olympics teams, and Scarborough’s Islamic Soccer League.

Organizers say the league, non-profit and run by volunteers, builds Islamic character through sport, offering university scholarships to players and coaches each year and sponsoring a food drive. “It began in 1997 with just 34 kids and in 2011 they have over 1500 kids enrolled in their program.” Also on the list is the Madina Hockey League, which the event program says formed in East Toronto in 2008 with “one goal in mind and that is to grow the sport among the many Muslim youth residing in the Toronto area and give them the opportunity to display the hockey talent they have been developing over the years on the streets, tennis courts and gymnasiums.”

As it does each year, the dinner, attended by many GTA politicians and with Lieut. Gov. David Onley as a guest speaker, will also honour exceptional members of local police, fire and ambulance services (www.islamicfoundation.ca). It is unique, IFT President Javaid Khan said in a release, because “900 men and women representing an estimated half a million Muslims from more than 50 countries will gather to celebrate the achievements and contributions of outstanding citizens of our great country.”

— Hat tip: JP

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Town Ad Gives Residents Correct Mosque Info — Mayor

The mosque to be built on 16th Avenue is “maybe a closet in the Taj Mahal”, Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti said Friday. In the town’s first public response to outpouring e-mails and phone calls from the public about the project, Mayor Scarpitti said they are taking a half-page ad in today’s Economist & Sun to provide residents with the “correct” information.

“There has been a misinterpretation of what the project is,” the mayor said in a phone interview. “It’s far from the Taj Mahal, which has over half a million square feet.”

The Taj Mahal reference was first said by Regional Councillor Joe Li at the development services committee meeting where the Islamic Society of Markham’s site plan application to build a 28,000-sq. ft. mosque just east of St. Brother Andre Catholic School was approved. “It resembles the Taj Mahal in India,” Mr. Li said at that meeting. The mayor said Mr. Li’s “complimentary” comment only added to the “misinformation”. While the 28,000-sq. ft. figures comes directly from the town’s staff report and the mosque’s website had consistently advertised the building as “over 25,000 to 30,000 sq. ft. on two acres of prime land” — “That’s not the case”, Mayor Scarpitti said. He said the place of worship is 10,000 sq. ft. “I think they (the public) believe there’s 28,000 sq. ft. of worship area,” the mayor said. “I think they have misunderstood.”

(The mosque this week changed its website to read “prayer area is approx. 10,000 sq. ft.”) The mayor said the mosque is a “local place of worship for people who live in our community” and its size is “comparable” to other places of worship in Markham. “It’s by no means the largest,” Mr. Scarpitti said. He said it was “unfortunate” the turned-down Taoist temple application fell on the same agenda as the mosque, but that people should know the nature of the two applications are totally different.

The mosque was a site-plan application. The temple was a rezoning application. Mr. Scarpitti said the town as a municipality has more control over permitted use on a piece of land in a rezoning application. “There’s a subtly here that’s not so subtle,” he said. If the town had turned down the mosque application, which is entirely in compliance with the zoning bylaw, “That legal battle will last a few minutes at the Ontario Municipal Board”, he said.

The mayor pointed out, as previously reported in this paper, that the mosque site was rezoned in 2003, later purchased by the mosque group in 2006 and therefore a statutory public meeting wasn’t required when the site plan application came forward. “The site was sitting there for three years, zoned,” the mayor said. “It was available for purchase by any religious group.” He said if anybody wanted to know what the land was rezoned for they could have asked the town to find out. He questioned whether or not those who may be surprised to read about the mosque in the paper would react the same if it was a church. “Was it a shock when a church was built in the same neighbourhood that people didn’t know about?” the mayor said, but declined to name the church he referenced.

He said while he understands the reaction from the public, that they “misunderstood” the square footage. He said while some have urged town council to stop the mosque from being build there, “Once zoning is in place, you can’t stop this,” he said. The mayor went on to commend local Councillor Colin Campbell for co-organizing a community meeting at Markham Museum last month when they weren’t required to do so. He said more than 150 homes that are “immediately adjacent” to the mosque site were invited. About 100 people attended that meeting.

In a previous interview with the Economist & Sun, Mr. Campbell said while he had urged the mosque group to include residents south of 16th Avenue, only those on the north side were invited. Asked if that was an oversight, the mayor said he couldn’t say. However, “Could they have gone farther out? I think so,” Mr. Scarpitti said. In regards to the “typo” that said the mosque would serve more than 1,600 people — instead of the 534 permitted — the mayor said that figure relates to a fundraising event the mosque held two or three years ago. “Whether or not it was a typo it doesn’t matter, because that’s not what’s in their application to the town,” the mayor said. “At the end of the day, they could have said 3,000 to raise funds. I’m taking them at their word that they made a mistake. Everybody makes mistakes.”

Asked if the town intends to hold a community meeting to have a discussion about the mosque, the mayor said he wants to first make sure everybody, especially those in Ward 5 and the neighbourhood of Greensborough, has the full information. He said he will respond to e-mails he has been getting. Asked if the town hopes the ad will calm people down, “This isn’t meant to calm anybody down”, Mayor Scarpitti said. “This is to make sure people have the correct information.”

— Hat tip: JP

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DSK Tried to Kiss Banon, But She Refused and He Let Her Go

(AGI) Paris — Strauss-Kahn admitted to trying to kiss writer Tristane Banon, but he was refused and allowed her to leave. It emerges from transcripts of Dominique-Strauss-Kahn’s questioning by Paris prosecutors investigating claims that the former IMF managing director attempted to rape the writer. The investigation was dropped, as prosecutors said evidence existed suggesting sexual assault, but a prosecution on that lesser charge was no longer possible under the statute of limitations.

“I tried to take her in my arms. I tried to kiss her on the mouth. She pushed back firmly. She cried out more or less ‘Are you mad?’. I immediately relaxed my grip. She grabbed her things, and left the flat, furious “, Strauss-Kahn said. Banon had filed a complaint for attempted rape against the former French Finance Minister.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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UK: Anglers Angry at Vicky Park’s Fish Plans

Anglers have accused Tower Hamlets Council of going back on its word to keep the fish in Victoria Park’s ponds.

The council’s website still states that a full restocking programme will take place at both lakes once the park’s £12m restoration is completed. But the Advertiser has learned that the council has decided not to put fish back into the East Lake and is considering stocking the West Lake with smaller fish instead of the large carp that lived there. Head of parks, Michael Rowan, said: “We want the park to be more for families and are looking at stocking the West Lake with smaller fish that kids can catch more easily.” Mr Rowan conceded the original plans had set out to restock carp at both lakes but said “things evolve as you get a better understanding” of a project.

He said the council was also looking at re-introducing rowing boats on the West Lake. The decision is now with Tower Hamlets Mayor Lutfur Rahman, he said. Chairman of Victoria Park Anglers Alliance, Keith Lancaster, said: “The council has paid a contractor to hold the carp with the sole intention of returning the fish. Any other decision is against the original plans drawn from numerous residents’ consultations. “We hope Mr Rahman will overturn this spurious decision and ensure both lakes are stocked.” Mr Lancaster said the park is the only place in London, apart from Regent’s Canal and Regent’s Park, where you can fish for large carp. He said: “It’s not safe for the kids to stand near the canal where they get targeted for their mobile phones.” Angler Robin Davies, 46, said: “It’s nonsense for the council to suggest families and anglers cannot coincide. I’ve fished in Vicky Park since I was five.”

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Douglas Murray: I’m Not a Bigot But Paul Goodman is

Douglas Murray is an award-winning writer and commentator who is currently Associate Director of the Henry Jackson Society

Last week Paul Goodman wrote a response to my criticism of his opposition to gay equality — specifically the issue of gay civil marriage. Paul’s response can be divided into the significant and the personal. Let me deal with the significant ones first.

Paul argues “if gay marriage is recognised, why not multiple sharia marriages?” Why one should lead to the other is not clear to me. If anything could possibly lead to polygamous heterosexual marriage surely it would not be gay marriage but heterosexual marriage? Yet it has not. And that is for a very clear reason. Which is that marriage, in our culture, not to mention law, is between two people. This is an idea I support. Without going into all of the reasons for this, or the virtues of it, I would cite one in particular — which is the importance in our culture of the principle of equality in marriage. By that I mean the extent to which the parties are complementary of each other.

Now I should have thought that it was obvious that a multiple, polygamous marriage cannot have that mutuality, let alone equality. We learn much of what we need to know about sharia marriages from the fact that it is only a man that can have multiple wives. No woman can have multiple husbands. Even if we knew nothing else about sharia marriages, this should be suggestive of an inherent lack of equality in sharia marriages as in so much else to do with sharia. Gay marriage is about equality between gay women or men who publicly declare their commitment to each other and heterosexual members of society. Polygamous marriage is about embedded inequality. Though some people may wish to have such a religious arrangement, it could not desirably — let alone inevitably — attain legal sanction.

But the other important thing lacking from Paul’s argument for multiple sharia marriage as a natural segue from gay marriage is an understanding of the crucial difference between a secular demand and a religious one. Whether Paul likes it or not, the majority of people in this country no longer believe that laws should be made by divinely-claimed mandate. Rather, they should be based on an appeal to reason.

Sharia marriage is a religious demand and has only a religious propulsion. Gay marriage is a secular demand with only a secular propulsion. Those of us who believe that gay people should have the same right to marry as straight people (in civil ceremonies) do so because we believe it is a matter of justice that gay and straight people in our society should enjoy equal rights and equal respect in their lives and relationships.

Sharia marriage, on the other hand, is a religious demand. If the state were to sanction it then it would be doing something based solely in, and propelled solely by, a religious precept. Paul happens to land on the Muslim precept, but it would be as possible to cite a Mormon polygamous sect. In either or any case, the writing of religious law into secular law would create the worst precedent imaginable and may well create the actual free-for-all that Paul is so concerned about.

In any case, the Prime Minister agrees with my views on gay marriage, and not with Paul’s. Obviously that fact is displeasing to him, as is the fact that I accused him of being disingenuous. Which brings me to my promised addendum — the personal aspects of Paul’s piece. It is obvious from his post that he thinks I am unreliable on the subject of Islam. I happen to think the same of him and would cite his article “The Romance of Islam” as evidence. The opening lines of that piece give its flavour: ‘For anyone trying to follow the journey begun by Abraham, conversion to Islam should recommend itself with compulsive force. It’s the most plausible of the three religions that look back to him.’ It seems to me that a Catholic cannot write such lines and remain a Catholic. It is of no interest to me if Paul wishes to change religions again, except that it seems clear that part of Paul’s compulsion in making his arguments is to do with his migration between the monotheisms and in particular his recent veneration of Islam as an attractive final berth.

Which brings me to my views. Paul makes an attack on me based on one speech I gave in the Dutch Parliament many years ago now. The fact that the speech is unpublished (and indeed that the version on the web was de-published at my request some years back) is not mentioned by Paul. Instead he silently points to a web-cached version of that withdrawn speech. The simple fact about it is that the phrases that Goodman complains of are not opinions that I hold. I realised some years ago how poorly expressed the speech in question was, had it removed from the website and forbade further requests to publish it because it does not reflect my opinions. Whilst trying to explain that extra rights should not be awarded to Muslims (such as extra welfare payments and so on) I undoubtedly framed — and phrased — the argument badly. I have written many hundreds of thousands of words on this subject — and spoken many hundreds of thousands more. My opinions have also altered significantly. But Paul does not make reference to any of this.

If Paul is interested in my work he should read — as all experts in government have done — the detailed books and reports I have published over recent years, not least ‘Islamist Terrorism: the British Connections’. This — and other recent work — has been regularly used by the government and indeed proved central to the government’s “Prevent” review. If Paul wishes to deride this then he can do so, but he is doing so against the published evidence and expertise of his political superiors. In any case, I would happily compare my work in this area with Paul’s at any time.

To conclude — it is clear from his piece that Paul regards me as some kind of anti-Islamic bigot. In which case I suppose I should state that I regard Paul — in his campaign to prevent equal rights to gays — as an anti-gay bigot. I have never suggested that Muslims should be forbidden the right to marry, nor would think of doing so. I also stand by the claim that Paul was disingenuous in citing — among others — the importance of polling Muslim opinion on gay marriage. He must know what he is doing here, but since he doesn’t say so I will.

A 2007 poll conducted for Policy Exchange revealed that 71% of Muslims in Britain aged 16-24 thought homosexuality should be illegal and 37% said that they would prefer to live under sharia law than British law. Under sharia law homosexuals are regularly — and legally — murdered. And here is the most awful aspect of Paul’s stance.

Paul is falling back on well-known Islamic bigotries to bolster his own. He has opposed each step — including civil partnerships — that would lead to equality for gay people in this country. Whilst lacking the courage of his own religious convictions he falls back on the convictions of the most intransigent religion of the lot — a religion which in every country in which it holds sway wishes not just to deny gay people the right to be considered equal, but to deny them the right to life. I will leave it to readers to decide whether that is decent or not.

[JP note: We are all bigots and phobes now — and all the better for it — happier, freer, saner.]

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: First Defendant to be Convicted Under New Bribery Act is a Court Clerk

A crooked court clerk smirked yesterday as he faced jail for taking £500 bungs to wipe the convictions of speeding motorists.

Munir Patel, 22, made legal history as he became the first person to be convicted under the new Bribery Act.

He used his privileged access as an administration clerk in the back rooms of a magistrates’ court to tamper with an official database.

Patel was recorded by a hidden camera bragging how he took bribes ‘all day long’ to delete vital court records in Redbridge, east London.

An undercover national newspaper reporter also caught him agreeing to wipe a conviction for a driver caught speeding in return for cash.

He was arrested after a dossier of damning evidence was handed to the Metropolitan Police in August.

Wearing a grey three piece suit without a tie, Patel spoke only to confirm his name and plead guilty to bribery and misconduct in a public office.

The young man was warned he is likely to be jailed when he returns to Southwark Crown Court next month. He could face up to 10 years in prison.

Judge John Price said: ‘You pleaded guilty at first opportunity and you will get full credit for that. But this may be a case where a custodial sentence cannot be avoided.’

It was widely expected that the first case involving the much-heralded legislation, which superseded century-old laws, would involve a high-profile corporate case.

The Serious Fraud Office had announced it would use the Act to pursue big companies and foreign businesses suspected of bribery.

The law covers offering a bribe, passively receiving inducements, bribing foreign officials and failing to stop bribes on behalf of a company.

But outside court senior prosecutor Gaon Hart said it will be used for anyone who acts ‘corruptly purely for personal gain.’

Speaking about Patel, he added: ‘He abused his position as an administrative officer to solicit a bribe from the public.

‘Public corruption is an extremely serious offence that undermines public faith in the integrity of those who work in the criminal justice system.

‘Public servants are required to act with integrity, honesty, impartiality but Patel’s actions could not have been further from each of these.

‘His conduct has brought into disrepute the criminal justice system as he sought to undermine the very laws which he was employed to uphold.’

Matthew Woodford, of law firm Browne Jacobson, said: ‘This case is certainly not the dramatic debut that many had expected.

But, once this first prosecution is out of the way, we can expect the regulator to become more confident about prosecuting much more complicated business cases.’

Six other charges involving false photocopies garage invoices found at his home in Dagenham, east London, were allowed to lie on file.

Five men and a woman, including three court officials and three motorists suspected of paying to have their convictions wiped, remain on police bail.

— Hat tip: Gaia

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UK: Housing Association Rejects Plans to Save Historic Jewish Hospital

A housing association seeking to demolish the East End’s last surviving Jewish hospital has rejected a compromise proposal to safe some of its buildings. Director of Jewish Heritage UK Sharman Kadish had written to Peabody to suggest the “well-built” cottages to the left of the main building on Underwood Road. Whitechapel, are retained. But Peabody’s chief executive Stephen Howlett has suggested the houses are not big enough to accommodate the number of residential units they want to build. Mr Howlett responded in a letter: “We’ve reviewed a number of options that involve retention of existing buildings. “We have however reached the conclusion none of these options are feasible as they would impact both on the number of homes and the layout of any residential scheme.” A council letter to campaigners, who have set up a petition at www.residents-first.co.uk, against the demolition

says the council will make a decision on a ‘prior notification’ for demolition before October 19.

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: One Society Many Cultures Conference Tomorrow [15 October 2011]

A huge range of speakers, including MPs, campaigners, writers and musicians is lined up for the one-day conference on defending multiculturalism on 15 October.

The event, titled Celebrate diversity, defend multiculturalism, oppose Islamophobia and racism, is organised by UAF and One Society Many Cultures and sponsored by SERTUC.

It is backed by the NUT, Unite, CWU, UCU and PCS trade unions, the Muslim Council of Britain and the NUS Black Students Campaign.

Speakers announced for the conference include Frances O’Grady TUC deputy general secretary, Kevin Courtney deputy general secretary NUT, Jack Dromey MP, Helen Goodman MP, Peter Hain MP, Claude Moraes MEP, Jean Lambert MEP, Farooq Murad secretary general, Muslim Council of Britain, Edie Friedman executive director, Jewish Council for Racial Equality, Michelle Stanistreet general secretary NUJ, Hugh Lanning deputy general secretary PCS, Steve Hart political director Unite, Megan Dobney regional secretary SERTUC, Zita Holbourne PCS NEC, Bob Lambert co-director European Muslim Research Centre, Jody McIntyre journalist, Peter Oborne journalist, Dilowar Khan director, London Muslim Centre, Alaa’ Samarrai vice-president student affairs, Federation of Student Islamic Societies, Kanja Sesay NUS black students’ officer, Nitin Sawney musician, Sabby Dhalu secretary One Society Many Cultures, Denis Fernando Lesbian and Gay Coalition Against Racism, Weyman Bennett joint secretary UAF, Martin Smith national co-ordinator, Love Music Hate Racism.

Why we are backing the conference

Billy Hayes General Secretary, Communication Workers Union

Britain’s diversity offers many social, cultural and economic benefits. We must assert that we are one society with many cultures. This important event will be an opportunity to unite trade unions, faith and other communities to celebrate our multicultural heritage and oppose racism, Islamophobia and hatred.

Edie Friedman Executive Director, Jewish Council for Racial Equality

Britain has a proud tradition of being a haven for those fleeing persecution, tyranny and fear. We must protect that right to refuge. This timely event will celebrate the positive contribution we all make to society.

Farooq Murad Secretary General, Muslim Council of Britain

Sadly, Islamophobia is an undeniable reality in our society. It is culminating in Mosques being attacked, Muslims being vilified in the media, hatred and violence being encouraged. We are committed to fight this by working with people from all walks of life. We need to celebrate diversity and promote understanding to create a just and cohesive Britain.

Michael Rosen poet and playwright

The far-right think that they can rustle up enough bullies and thugs to threaten the peace and security of Muslims. We can’t rely on the government doing anything about this. In fact, we’ve come to expect the opposite: they either keep suspiciously silent, or even worse: deliver speeches full of aggressive and prejudiced talk towards Muslim people. We need trade unionists and activists to come together to keep our streets and lives free of this danger so I welcome this conference on October 15.

Professor Danny Dorling University of Sheffield

When governments run out of good arguments to explain why their policies are hurting people they look for scapegoats. Suggesting that multiculturalism is a problem is just one way of trying to hide the fact that the rich are getting richer whilst most peoples’ living standards are falling.

[JP note: Useful idiots and fellow travellers of Islam.]

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: The Romance of Islam [Paul Goodman, 3 April 2010]

Paul Goodman, a well-known opponent of Muslim extremism, on the beauty of Islam in its traditional, classical form, unpolluted by politics

For anyone trying to follow the journey begun by Abraham, conversion to Islam should recommend itself with compulsive force. It’s the most plausible of the three religions that look back to him.

Near the root of Judaism is the conviction that a single people are chosen by God — a people, moreover, who are hard to join. At the core of Christianity is the belief that a man was God and rose from the dead. Both claims seem to spit in the face of reason. Isn’t it an offence against justice to assert that God specially favours one people in particular? Isn’t it an affront to common sense to hold that a baby was divine, and that a dead man walked from a cold tomb?

Nonetheless, the suggestion that Islam might be preferable to either is objectionable to modern Western minds. It provokes visions of frenzy: failing states, suicide bombers, fanatical mullahs, shrouded women, burning books, oppressed minorities. But it should also conjure images of tranquillity: serene mosques, the circles of dhikr, a certain detachment from the claims of politics, distaste for the extremism within its own ranks of which Mohammed warned, and — until fairly recently — better treatment of religious minorities than Europe’s.

For most of its history Islam has been the most relaxed of the three faiths. It neither aches for the coming of a Messiah nor announces that outside the Church there is no salvation. It offers monotheism for all — a kind of Judaism for the masses. A more profound film about Islam than Geert Wilders’s could be titled not Fitna, but Fitra — namely, man’s primordial disposition, which is made for God. The path to paradise isn’t closed by original sin. Rather, it remains open, but man strays from it in heedlessness and forgetfulness. In doing so, he turns his face from tawhid — from the divine unity. So God sends prophets to nudge man back to the straight path. Mohammed was the last of them — not God, like the Jesus of Christianity, but the best of all creation. I write of conversion to Islam, but what takes place, rather, is reversion — a return to man’s natural religion.

I converted from nominal Judaism to Catholicism in my mid-twenties. Changing one’s religion once is enough to be going on with. Perhaps this thought has inhibited me to date from doing so a second time, and accepting Jesus of Nazareth as a great prophet rather than as the saviour of the world. If I’m remembered for taking up any cause in the Commons, which I’m quitting at the next election, it may be for fencing at Islamism and its fellow-travellers in Britain. But Islamism is a polluted tributary of the great river of Islam, and my allergy to a politicised version of the religion hasn’t deterred me from sitting at the feet, from time to time, of its traditional, classical form.

Being an MP representing the largest number of Muslims in any Conservative-held seat has made this easier. I’ve sat at celebrations in honour of Pir Shah Ghazi, a Sufi saint of the subcontinent; listened to the singing of the Saif-ul Malook — the great poem by Mian Muhammad Baksh, ‘the Kashmiri Rumi’; trudged in Walthamstow behind a running crowd keeping up with its adored Pir, Sayeed Abdul Quadir Jilani; struggled for answers while being courteously but searchingly probed by students at Cambridge Muslim College. And so on.

Islam has three advantages over modern Christianity. First, it has better preserved its liturgy. A Muslim prays five times a day in much the same way as his ancestors did at the time of Mohammed, perhaps because there’s no single source of authority in Islam to drive through liturgical change. There are no guitars, inexact translations of Arabic into English, imams that face the people rather than Mecca, and go-ahead muftis of Bevendon to proclaim: ‘Jihad in a very real sense’. Pope Benedict, who understands the centrality of liturgy to religion, might see a connection between Islam’s soaring numbers and its immutable worship.

Second, it has better preserved its spiritual inheritance, and kept polished the chains of spiritual transmission. This is no artificial figure of speech. The silsilah is a chain — the pupil receiving authority from a master who received it from his own master, and so on all the way back to Mohammed. Christianity has its apostolic succession. But this is the preserve of the bishops, not the laity, and in Islam everyone is a layman. This may help to prove that flat structures protect tradition more effectively than hierarchical ones. For better and worse, Islam has experienced no Reformation or Enlightenment — no questioning of the transmission of the Koran to Mohammed by the Angel Gabriel himself. There is a gimmicklessness about the practice of its spirituality.

Third, it has Sufism — the sum of that spiritual inheritance. I’m not dewy-eyed about Sufis, who are no more perfect than other believers. But the tradition they follow is one of the world’s great religious movements, balancing the Koran’s proclamation of the transcendence of God — ‘Who begetteth not, nor is begotten, and none is like Him’ — with its persistent whisperings of immanence, of a God who ‘is nearer to him than his jugular vein’. Many of the great Sufi texts aren’t available in English. I’ve been trying to read one that is. Jilani of Walthamstow is named after Jilani of Baghdad — a giant of medieval Sufism and founder of the Qadri order. I’ve ploughed my way through 61 of the 62 discourses in his Al-Fath Al-Rabbani — literally ‘the Revelations of the Lord’.

Each discourse is supported by verses from the Koran. The first chapter quotes the following: ‘Surely, God is with those who are patient.’ It’s a theme of Jilani’s, and seems to be one of Islam’s as a whole. The religion appears to lack that Western word, angst. Consider the Biblical and Koranic accounts of Abraham’s sacrifice. The Koranic account is sucked dry of tension: Ishmael not only knows of his father’s plan, but approves it. The Biblical account is dramatic: Isaac is unaware that his father means to kill him.

Perhaps the ox-like endurance of suffering is a feature of less developed societies. But for whatever reason, a sense of Jacob wrestling with the angel is never long absent from either Christianity or Judaism. Why suffering happens is one of the greatest human mysteries. In Christianity, God follows the logic of love, and vaults the barrier which separates Him from man. He plunges into the depths of suffering and transforms it through the Resurrection. The good old story may not make suffering bearable, but it may at least make it comprehensible. Once it’s accepted, the Trinity becomes a partner rather than a stranger to reason.

The vision of Islam — of actualising the divine names as Mohammed did, thereby restoring man’s original nature — has, as all great religions do, its own romance. But some calls must be questioned, however imperiously they’re couched. There’s cause for the eye of faith to pass on from the black stone of the Kaaba, and rest upon the white cloths that lay folded, on that first Easter morning, inside an empty tomb.

— Hat tip: JP

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Coptic Church Construction and Egyptian Muslim ‘Emasculation’

by Andrew G. Bostom

Traditional Islamic religious authorities regard church construction, or any display of non-Islamic religions as “emasculating” of Muslims. No wonder Egypt’s Copts face such travails.

Because it was excerpted in Bat Ye’or’s pioneering The Dhimmi, I obtained Moshe Perlmann’s (1975) complete translation of a 1739 essay on the Churches of Cairo. Written by Sheikh Damanhuri (1689-1764), a highly esteemed leader of Al Azhar University, the pinnacle of learning in Sunni Islamdom, since 973 A.D., the learned jurist’s tract was a reply to a query in that year when, “…the dhimmis began the construction of a church in Cairo…causing great agitation among Muslims.” The good sheikh notes,

When I learned of the rise of this deplorable affair, and that in this community no longer is the prophetic injunction heeded to deter the infidels, the enemies of the faith, from their goal, I began to write the answer…by explaining the right path

Sheikh Damanhuri entitled his reply — in accord with the conclusion of his learned, Islamically-correct argument, “The presentation of the clear proof for the obligatory destruction of the churches of Old and New Cairo.”

Damanhuri states explicity (on p. 20) that areas “demarcated and settled by Muslims,” including Cairo, Kufa, Basra, Baghdad, Wasit, as well as “any village that was taken by force,” and not returned by a Muslim Caliph to those vanquished and dispossessed,

These are Muslim cities in which the protected people may not display any of their religious symbols, for example, erect churches, bring out wine or pork, or sound the clapper (calling to the church, a counterpart of bells). No new synagogue, church, monk’s cell, prayer assembly of theirs is allowed in these cities, by the consensus of the doctors [of Islamic law]. It has been mentioned above that our city, Cairo, is an Islamic town, started after the conquest of Egypt, under the reign of the Fatimids. Therefore, no church, synagogue, and the rest, may be erected in it.

But what Bat Ye’or excerpted in The Dhimmi that is truly fascinating — pathognomonic as we say in medicine — is how this learned Muslim jurist, in conformity with the prevailing orthodoxy, viewed Church construction by Christians as a form of Muslim emasculation! From (p. 21) of Perlmann’s 1975 translation of Damanhuri’s tract:…

— Hat tip: Andy Bostom

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Egypt: Truth and Justice Not Lies and Superficiality on Massacre of Copts

The results of the autopsies will be released Oct. 27. But Egyptian army trying to silence the issue by manipulating the truth and accusing the Copts of provoking the violence despite the eyewitness accounts and videos. Shenouda III is opposed to the military’s version. Obama also assumes that the Copts were violent. Not to forget AsiaNews publishes some pictures of the massacre, sent by Coptic organizations.

Rome (AsiaNews) — The tortured bodies of Coptic Christians killed on 9 October demand truth and justice. The 26 still bloody corpses, heads smashed by the violence of military tanks and armored vehicles are piled up in of Cairo’s Coptic Hospital and other hospitals in the city waiting for autopsy. Ihsan Kamel, head of forensic medicine, said it will take time and that the results will be published only on October 27. He also claimed that declarations made by forensic doctors in the past week may be inaccurate.

Perhaps this warning is due to scrupulousness and scientific accuracy. We hope it is not an attempt to discredit the eye-witness accounts of demonstrators or the evidence of doctors who stressed that the deaths of several victims was caused by bullets from firearms and from the crushing weight of heavy vehicles.

Yesterday, Magda Adly, chief of El Nadeem, a Rehabilitation Centre for Victims of Torture, said he witnessed the autopsy on the bodies of eight killed in Maspero (the area close to Tahrir Square, where the massacre took place) . According to Adly it is evident that the six bodies had been crushed by “heavy vehicles” and two had an “excessive” number of bullet wounds.

Adly’s testimony coincides with that of many survivors of the October 9 massacre amply documented in the many videos posted on the Internet (see for example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0y77M-FjHk&NR=1&skipcontrinter=1;

http://www.light-dark.net/vb/showthread.php?t=6804;

http://www.light-dark.net/vb/showthread.php?p=7917# post7917).

In these images it is evident that the soldiers fired on an unarmed crowd. Just as it is clear that the armored vehicles deliberately mowed down defenseless protesters.

There is a blatant attempt, in Egypt and in the world, to hide the truth. Just one example: Daniel Mina, a Christian who was also a leader of the “Arab Spring” in Tahrir Square, was killed June 9 by gunfire and then crushed by an armored car. But his medical certificate does not say anything about the cause of his death.

The most powerful body behind these attempts to wipe out what happened on October 9 is the military. Two days ago at a press conference, the army rejected all the accusations against it. Showing reporters videos and photos, the two generals Adel Emara and Mahmoud Hegazy, claimed the soldiers had no live ammunition and that the armored cars that were trying to avoid the crowds by all means, who instead were throwing Molotov cocktails and stones.

At this attempt to wipe out the truth and deny justice the Orthodox Coptic Pope Shenouda III raised his voice. Meeting with Prime Minister Essam Sharaf yesterday, he reiterated that the Copts demonstration on 9 October, “was peaceful and the protesters had no weapons.”

In his catechesis on Wednesday afternoon, two days ago, he reiterated the same idea and said that the carnage of recent days was “without precedent” in the recent history of the Church in Egypt. He himself cited the results of the first autopsies according to which two thirds of the martyrs were killed by gunshot wounds and that the remaining were crushed by military vehicles.

Many Christians and Muslims also wonder why there was a deployment of hundreds of thousands of policemen and soldiers — given that the Copts protest was authorized. This suggests that the head-on collision was intentional, perhaps to delay the elections, perhaps to maintain a state of emergency.

The multitudes of “Arab Spring”, but also a large part of the Egyptian population, are becoming increasingly united in their condemnation of the army and its “fascist” methods, worse than under Mubarak. Yet, against all this, there is the scandal announced yesterday: there will only be an investigation into the Maspero massacre and it will be conducted by the military.

The army’s excuse is that there were armed violent elements among the protesters who started fighting with police. The Minister for Justice, Mohamed El-Guindy, said that interrogations of the arrested protesters have already begun and that the accused will be judged not by a civil court, but the military court.

The Coptic organizations in Europe, in a statement sent to AsiaNews, condemn the “triumph of shame” of the Egyptian army. They point their finger towards the Information Minister, Osama Heikal and the media which is subservient to him, who have launched a campaign against the Copts that were “killing” the army and Egypt.

The West seems to have totally distanced itself from Egypt. Under the weight of the Euro crisis, the EU limited itself to a generic condemnation of the violence and call for more respect for the rights of minorities, with the White House even espousing the theory of the Egyptian army. President Obama, deplored the “tragic loss of life among the demonstrators and security forces,” adding that “it is time for restraint on both sides.”

So the demands of democracy, press freedom, equal rights for Christians and Muslims — the heart of the struggles of the Egyptian “Arab Spring” — seem to be fading far away. This democratic vision also includes the right of Christians to build places of worship on a par with Muslims.

Once again, religious freedom is proven to be the key element of human rights. The Copts demonstration — also supported by many Muslims — was born from their demand for the right to build a church in Aswan, which was destroyed by the fundamentalists, backed by the local governor (a former general). Its tragic conclusion has laid bare the many human rights denied to the Egyptian population.

Some Coptic organizations have sent us some photos on the terrible slaughter of their brothers in faith, asking us to publish them. With some hesitation and with a strong dose of caution we have decided to publish them. “The blood of the martyrs — Shenouda III said at the funeral of some victims — does not come cheap”: it is the enormous price that the Egyptians are paying for the dictatorship of their leaders and the shallowness of the West. Until justice is done by those slaughtered in Maspero, there will be no justice for Egypt.

WARNING: The images presented here are very harsh and could upset sensitive viewers. To see the images click here.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Former IDF Official: Shalit Rescue Efforts Were ‘A Resounding Failure’

Colonel (res.) Ronen Cohen, who recently retired from the intelligence division at the General Staff, where he had held a number of senior posts, says that the Shalit deal was a reasonable move on the part of Israel in view of the circumstances. Nonetheless, he said that “it is a sad day for the IDF.”

Cohen says that the handling of the efforts to bring Shalit back “was a resounding failure of the IDF. There are no other words to describe it. The IDF never took responsibility for the soldier and did not even set up a team to deal with bringing him back. They simply passed it on to the Shin Bet [security service].”

At the time of the Shalit abduction, Cohen was head of the terrorism department at Military Intelligence, and then deputy head of research. His last position was the intelligence officer of Central Command.

In an interview with Haaretz he said that the IDF did not consider formulating an operational option for the release of Shalit to be a project that they should undertake in an orderly fashion with goals in mind.

“Dan Halutz, who was the chief of staff at the time of the abduction, did not have time to deal with the matter seriously because less than three weeks later the Second Lebanon War broke out. Then the matter simply slipped away.”

Cohen believes that Israel had partial intelligence on Shalit’s situation which may have enabled a rescue operation, however the intelligence ceased being relevant at the time of Operation Cast Lead in December 2008…

— Hat tip: Jerry Gordon

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Permission to Build a Catholic Church in Pskov Denied

According to the archbishop of Moscow the reasons are unjust and he denounces a “deliberate discrimination against the local Catholic community.”

Moscow (AsiaNews / Agencies) — After the demolition of the houses of the Sisters of Mother Teresa in Moscow over a “lack of permits,” another episode is pitting the Russian authorities against the local Catholic Church. In Pskov, north-west of the country, the city government has refused to renew the building permit for the parish of Holy Trinity. The reason given for the refusal is “the non-commencement of construction before the permit expired”, which violates the Russian Federation Building Code.

The motivation, however, was greeted with “astonishment” by the Archbishop of the Mother of God in Moscow, Mgr. Paolo Pezzi, who in a statement released by the website of the archdiocese expresses “the impression of deliberate discrimination against the Catholic community of Pskov”.

According to the prelate, thanks to the work of the rector, the help of many donors and the efforts of the faithful, the church building began more than 10 years ago and part of the complex, the house of the parish, has already been completed . This is the only Catholic church in Pskov. The local community is very active in the social field for the disabled and orphans, beyond professed beliefs.

Archbishop Pezzi denounces “the impression of deliberate discrimination against the Catholic community of Pskov” and calls on the provincial and city authorities to “cooperate to arrive at a just resolution of the issue.” (N.A.)

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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India: Orissa: Hindu Extremists Plant a Flag on the Rubble of a Church Under Reconstruction

The place of worship was destroyed in 2008, during the pogrom against Christians that caused hundreds of dead. The local community had recovered materials to rebuild the building. The fundamentalists, with the connivance of police and government want to seize the land. Indian activist: government “sympathizes” with the extremist wing.

Bhubaneswar (AsiaNews) — The government is”sympathetic to the Hindu extremist wing “ and does not intervene to quell “provocations” against Christians in Orissa, denounces Indian activist Sajan K. George to AsiaNews, commenting on the last episode against the religious minority: October 6 last more than 400 Hindu fanatics planted a saffron flag — the official symbol of Hinduism — on the rubble of a Catholic church, destroyed during the anti-Christian pogroms of 2008. According to police, the flag was removed by unknown persons last night. However, tension remains high in the area and there is an creeping sense of increasing hopelessness and abandonment among Christians, ignored by government and law enforcement.

In recent weeks the Christian community had accumulated building materials to rebuild the parish church of Raikia in the village of Bakingia, Kandhamal district, belonging to the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, Orissa (eastern India). The building was destroyed by Hindu fundamentalists in 2008, during the anti-Christian violence that caused hundreds of casualties. On October 6, Vijaya Dashami festival for the Hindu community, which is celebrating these days the festival of the goddess Durga, hundreds of extremists planted the saffron flag. The area, according to their leader Bhaskar Pradha, belonged to their ancestors.

Despite the protests of the Christian minority, which turned to local government authorities and the police, no one intervened to remove the banner from the site where the local parish church once stood. Local sources report that last night, someone removed the Hindu symbol, but the tension between the two communities remains high so much so that the area is guarded by dozens of police. Archbishop John Barwa, of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, immediately informed the head of the district Rajesh Patil. In response, he advised the Catholic leaders to send a letter of protest to the police. Yesterday a group of 15 people, led by parish priest Fr Probodh Kumar Pradhan, filed an appropriate complaint, but so far the police have not taken any measures. Administrators and police have also called for a meeting between Christian and Hindu leaders to settle the matter, but so far they have not confirmed an official summit.

Speaking to AsiaNews Fr Pradhan describes the “failure of government authorities” who are not able to control the situation. The reaction of Indian activist Sajan K George, president of Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) is even harsher who states that “the government’s deafening silence is a source of fear and anxiety among Christians.” He confirms that “the police who intervened in the affair did not take any measures”, while in recent days “the local government had ordered a halt to the reconstruction of the Catholic Church.” Local authorities, adds Sajan George, are conniving with the Hindu extremists because they “do not take action” against those who are “deliberately causing problems”.

(Santosh Digal collaborated)

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Hong Kong High Court Grants Permanent Residency to the Filipina Maid

A landmark ruling by the Supreme Court. Government opposition, fears invasion of Filipinos and Indonesians. The protagonist of the cause thanks God

Hong Kong (AsiaNews / Agencies) — The Hong Kong High Court has issued a ruling that allows a Filipino domestic workers the right to permanent residency in the Territory (close to citizenship). The ruling is of historical significance for the former British colony, where nearly 300 thousand domestic workers are of non-Chinese origin. According to the judges, the legislature forbidding them to ask for proof of residence “is contrary to the Basic Law [the small Constitution bequeathed by the British and Chinese, in force until 2050].”

The case concerns Evangeline Bana Vallejos, who has lived on the island since 1986. According to the immigration laws currently in force, all foreigners residing in the territory for seven consecutive years, may request the certificate of permanent residents. But this is not possible for maids who work in Hong Kong, mostly from the Philippines and Indonesia. For Judge Johnson Lam, however, “according to the interpretation of the law, this law conflicts with our Basic Law. The mere maintenance of [a] link with her country of origin is not enough to deny residency “

Vallejos’s lawyer Mark Daly called the ruling “a victory for good and just rule of law. We talked with our client who is working and could not come here. She thanked God and all those who helped, including her employer and her lawyers. “ According to human rights activists, it is a victory “for the equality of all workers.”

The pro-China government is somewhat less enthusiastic and now fears an avalanche of requests from foreigners. According to a coalition party this ruling will open the doors to 500 thousand people, including spouses and children of workers, and this will increase spending on the welfare system to 25 billion Hong Kong dollars (about 2.5 billion) of. In addition, the unemployment rate “could go from 3.5 to 10%.”

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Libraries Opened at Over 400 Mosques in China

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) — Over 400 mosques in Ingushetia region in North West China were equipped with libraries. According to “Arabic.china” website, the libraries were opened aiming at enhancing scientific progress being made by Muslims in the region and providing an opportunity for conducting researches in various fields of sciences, culture and law. Over 50 thousand books with social, cultural and religious topics along with TV sets and DVD players have been granted to the libraries by the local government of the region. Imam of Leeming Mosque in Ingushetia said in this respect that libraries make various scientific sources available for Muslims to enrich their cultural knowledge.” Over 2 million Muslims live in Ingushetia forming over one third of the population of the region.

— Hat tip: JP

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Brazilian Prosecutors File for Battisti Visa to be Revoked

(AGI) Brasilia — Brasilia’s Federal Prosecution has filed for the annulment of Cesare Battisti’s residence visa. In filing the request, Prosecution specified that Battisti should not be forcibly transferred to Italy — where he was sentenced to jail in absentia — but should return prior host countries France or Mexico. News of the Prosecution’s request was reported by daily ‘OGlobo’. Prosecutor Helio Heringer filed the review request arguing that it is illegal to grant visa to non-Brazilian citizens with sentences pending.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Netherlands: Mushroom Grower Exploited Illegal Bulgarian Workers

Labour inspectors have found more than 70 Bulgarians without proper papers working for a mushroom company in Gelderland, broadcaster RTL reports on Thursday.

The Bulgarians earned €3 an hour — less than half the minimum wage — and had to sleep six to a room, RTL says.

The inspectors also suspect they were made to work with dangerous pesticides without proper protection.

Last year, illegal immigrants were found working on a quarter of the mushroom farms inspected. In total, their employers were fined €1.5m.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Netherlands: Wilders Calls EU Commissioner a Hippie and ‘Terrible Person’

Cecilia Malmström, the European commissioner in charge of home affairs is a ‘left-wing hippie’ and ‘should have been sacked’, Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-Islam PVV party says in an interview with Friday’s Parool.

In an interview marking the end of the government’s first year in office, Wilders says the PVV will have a problem if the minority cabinet does not succeed in the changing the commission’s mind about an EU immigration policy.

‘Some left-wing hippie or other who calls herself a European Commissioner — Malmström — thinks differently [to the PVV],’ Wilders is quoted as saying.

Sacked

‘I have not seen the plans. I only know that that half hippie should have been sacked, sooner rather than later. That is a really terrible person,’ Wilders said.

‘If that Annie doesn’t do anything and there is no support, then we have a problem. I hope the cabinet manages to force through amendments where possible.’

Wilders wants the minority government to ensure a 50% reduction in non-western immigration in return for his support on the economy.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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	Financial Crisis
»	Belgium: Revolt to Save the Steel Industry
	USA
»	Emails Expose #occupywallstreet Conspiracy to Destablize Global Markets and Governments
»	Kansas City Bishop is Indicted for Failing to Report Abuse
»	Mosque Invites Public to Discussion of Islamic Holy Days
»	Our First Concession to Sharia Law: Slavery
»	Soros Denies Funding Wall Street Protests
	Canada
»	A Place for Muslims to Meet and Pray
»	Open House on Islam — Saturday
	Europe and the EU
»	Cyprus on the World Stage
»	Finnish Schools to Teach Islam
»	France: Starbucks Withdraws Controversial Poster
»	Greece: Historic Byzantine and Venetian Fortresses at Risk
»	In Italian Heartland, Indians Keep the Cheese Coming
»	Italy: General Graziano Appointed Army Chief of Staff
»	Norway: Police Doubt Breivik’s Claim of 80 Terrorist Cells
»	Norwegian Teachers Less Brainy Than Before: Study
»	UK: Abusive Yobs Could Avoid Prosecution Under Proposals
»	UK: Bookseller Accused of ‘Priming People for Terrorism’
»	UK: Birmingham Bookshop Owner Ahmed Faraz Faces Terror Charges
»	UK: Law That Put Poppy Burning Fanatics in the Dock Faces the Axe
»	UK: Meet Moazzem Begg: Al-Qaeda and Taliban Supporter and Latest Guardian Contributor
»	UK: No Arrest for Poppy Attacks in Shake-Up
	North Africa
»	About 7,000 Arrested by Libya’s NTC, UN Says
»	Destruction of Copts is Islamically Correct
»	Egypt’s State Media Implicated in Violence Against Christian Demonstrators
»	Egypt: Muslims Pelt Funeral Procession With Bricks as Coptic Church Condemns Attack, Calls for Three-Day Fast
»	Hillary Clinton Promises to Save Egypt’s Christians?
»	Italy: ENI Reopens Greenstream Pipeline From Libya
»	Libyan Sufi Mosques Attacked
»	Tunisia Police Teargas Protest at ‘Blasphemous’ TV Station
	Israel and the Palestinians
»	A Deal With the Devil
	Middle East
»	Saudi-Backed Institute for “Tolerance” And Irony Appreciation Inaugurated in Vienna
	South Asia
»	Indonesia: About ‘1.8 Million People’ Have Terror Links
»	Indonesia: Bogor Yasmin Church Controversy: Authorities “Manipulating” Videos to Slander Christians
»	Malaysia: Selangor Dances the Limbo for JAIS
»	Malaysia: Grateful for Timely Royal Intervention
	Sub-Saharan Africa
»	Bashir Says Sudan Will Adopt Islamic Constitution
»	Nigeria: Islam Not Related to Violence — Al-Mu’minaat
»	Officials in Sudan Threaten to Raze Three Church Buildings
»	Sudan to Become Africa’s First Theocracy
	Immigration
»	Europeans Up Sticks

Belgium: Revolt to Save the Steel Industry

Le Soir, 14 October 2011

Following the announcement of the definitive closure of the two blast furnaces in Liege on October 12 by the world’s number-one steel producer, ArcelorMittal India, the latter has become “the detonator of social fatigue”, leads Le Soir. Out of the 3000 people employed by the ArcelorMittal group in Liege, one of the cradles of the European steel industry, some 600 will be directly affected by this closure. Belgian unions are mobilising to protest “the gangsters’ methods” of the group, which is expected to rake in more than three billion euros in profit this year.

Coming hard on the heels of the Dexia affair, the shut-down of Liège is a “hard return to reality,” notes the editor of Le Soir, Béatrice Delvaux: “This Belgium, cut off from the world, was living as if our only problems on earth were how to split up a district [the BHV] and how to protect the Flemings from having to live with Francophones…. With Dexia, we are victims of a rogue financial capitalism that has lived off of bubbles, lies and deceptions and that has suddenly lost its footing. With Arcelor, we are being hit by the polar shift in growth around the world: an Indian group, capitalist after our own fashion, decided to wipe us off its map of production plants. A country that is booming is bypassing a country sunk into decadence.”

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Emails Expose #occupywallstreet Conspiracy to Destablize Global Markets and Governments

In keeping with the new media notion of crowdsourcing—enthusiastically embraced by the mainstream media when trawling through Sarah Palin’s emails—Big Government will be providing readers later today with links to a document drop consisting of thousands of emails.

The email archive, created by a private cyber security researcher, appears to contain messages shared by the left’s anarcho-socialist activists during the strategic and daily tactical planning of the “Occupy Wall Street” and broader “Occupy” campaign this fall.

Big Government received a tip about the existence of the archive, and we were able to contact the individual who compiled and posted it. He will describe the archive, and how he obtained the emails, later this morning exclusively on Big Government.

Through “crowdsourcing,” the media and the public will then be able to discover the truth behind the “Occupy” movement.

— Hat tip: Van Grungy

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Kansas City Bishop is Indicted for Failing to Report Abuse

The Roman Catholic bishop of Kansas City, Robert Finn, and the diocese he leads have been indicted by a state grand jury on a charge of “failure to report suspected child abuse” in the case of a priest who had been accused of taking lewd photographs of young girls.

The indictment is the first ever of a Catholic bishop in the 25 years since the scandal over sexual abuse by priests first became public in the United States.

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Mosque Invites Public to Discussion of Islamic Holy Days

Members of the Zubaida Foundation are inviting people of all backgrounds to their mosque in Lower Makefield on Sunday afternoon to examine and discuss what is common between religious faiths, an organizer said. Judaism, Christianity and Islam have the same roots in Abraham, said Brother Mohammed Husain, a foundation member and organizer of the free event, which includes a discussion and lunch. The ties to Abraham will serve as a focal point, he said. “If you want people to understand each other, you have to explore what is common between them,” Husain said. “We have to sit down at the same table to get to know each other and then maybe some of the stereotypes will go away. We will be in a little better condition and maybe we will be able to trust each other.”

To help visitors better understand their faith, mosque speakers will discuss the Hajj, a Pilgrimage in Islam, and Eid Al Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice that marks the end of the pilgrimage. Hajj, the religious high point for a Muslim, means “to set out for a place,” according to Islamicity.com. Millions of Muslims make the pilgrimage each year to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to praise and pray to Allah (God) as the Prophet Muhammad did during his last visit to the city. Muslims who are “physically and financially able” are required to make the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime. The Hajj is one of the five “pillars” of Islam.

The pillars, which also include faith or belief in Allah (God), establishment of the five daily prayers, concern for and almsgiving to the needy and self-purification through fasting during Ramadan, are meant to help Muslims form the foundation of their faith. The next Hajj will be in early November. It is based each year on the lunar calendar. Eid al Adha, at the end of Hajj, is called the Festival of Sacrifice and serves as a commemoration of Abraham’s trials.

As part of the holiday, Muslims slaughter a sheep, camel or goat. Most of the meat is given away to friends and the poor to symbolize a Muslim’s willingness to give up things of benefit in order to follow Allah, religion experts said. One-fifth of the world’s population practices the Islamic faith, according to religion experts. The Lower Makefield mosque, which has been housed off Big Oak Road since 2006, has between 100 and 120 members, Husain said. Mosque members are looking forward to discussing their faith with those of different backgrounds Sunday, the organizer said. “This is an opportunity to get to know who we are and what we believe in,” Husain said.

Joan Hellyer: 215-949-4048; email: jhellyer@phillyburbs.com; Twitter: @BCCTintheknow

— Hat tip: JP

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Our First Concession to Sharia Law: Slavery

by Bryan Fischer

Our next president must be a man who uses the resources at his disposal to resist, reject and prevent the implementation of Sharia law anywhere, at any time, under any circumstances in the United States. Sharia law is already making encroachments in American culture in large ways and small, whether it’s Target cashiers getting a pass for refusing to serve customers who want to buy bacon, or Christians being arrested for handing out free copies of the gospel of John to Muslims on a public sidewalk.

But making concessions to Sharia law over against the moral code of the Judeo-Christian tradition is nothing new for America. We started doing it in 1619 when we began to tolerate the slave trade, as the first shipment of 30 African slaves arrived on the shores of Virginia.

By the way, the first legally recognized slave in America, John Casor, was actually the property of a black man, a colonist by the name of Anthony Johnson. A Northampton County court ruled in 1654 that Casor was “owned” by Johnson, and was his property for life. There were many black slave-holders in the South at the outbreak of the Civil War, and many of them took up arms against the North. Here’s how Thomas Sowell puts it: “[T]here were thousands of … blacks in the antebellum south who were commercial slave owners, just like their white counterparts. An estimated one-third of the ‘free persons of color’ in New Orleans were slaveowners and thousands of these slaveowners volunteered to fight for the Confederacy…”

The slaves who were brought here in chains in 1619 were Africans who had been kidnapped by other Africans and sold to slave traders who in turn brought them to America. The kidnappers, the ones who went into the interior of Africa to capture their fellow Africans to sell them into bondage, were predominantly Muslims. In fact, according to Thomas Sowell, a million or more Europeans were enslaved by Muslim pirates from North Africa from 1500-1800, and whites were sold at slave auctions in Egypt until at least the year 1885. Muslims still openly practice slavery today in places like Mauritania, Saudi Arabia and Sudan.

Muhammad himself practiced slavery, and directed his followers to do the same. Since Muhammad is the ultimate role model for Muslims, and Muslims believe that everything he did will be worthy of imitation until the end of time, slavery will always have moral approval in Islam. Estimates are that over 17 million slaves were transported out of Africa by Islamic slave traders, and a staggering 85 million are believed to have died en route. About 645,000 of those wound up in what became the United States.

Quoting Sowell: “…the region of West Africa…was one of the great slave-trading regions of the continent — before, during, and after the white man arrived. It was Africans who enslaved their fellow Africans, selling some of these slaves to Europeans or to Arabs and keeping others for themselves. Even at the peak of the Atlantic slave trade, Africans retained more slaves for themselves than they sent to the Western Hemisphere…Arabs were the leading slave raiders in East Africa, ranging over an area larger than all of Europe.” (Emphasis mine.)

Now, in contrast to Islam and Sharia, the Judeo-Christian tradition from day one has been adamantly opposed to the slave trade. The civil code of ancient Israel did provide, as America did, for indentured servitude, which was voluntary and had statutory limits after which emancipation was required. As many as two-thirds of the English settlers who came to America in the 17th century came as indentured servants. Ancient Israel also allowed prisoners of war to be held as slaves, just as the United States did with German POWs in WWII. Planeloads of German POWs were brought to the South and worked in the fields until the end of the war. We couldn’t send them home, where they would take up arms again and kill us, and we didn’t want to execute them. Servitude was the only compassionate alternative. And it was the same in ancient Israel.

But Moses flatly prohibited the slave trade under penalty of death. “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death” (Exodus 21:16). In other words, if a strictly biblical code had been followed in 1619, the slave trader who brought that ship to Virginia would have been arrested the moment he landed, prosecuted and hung by the neck until dead. The slaves on board would have been returned to their families and their homelands, and slavery would never have gained a foothold in the United States.

But sadly, we made our first concession to Sharia law in 1619 instead of being guided by the wisdom of Scripture, and we have paid a terrible price for it. Slavery became our first national sin, as abortion is today. The slave trade is flatly prohibited in the New Testament as well. Paul speaks in 1 Timothy of the proper role of the law, and indicates that the law “is not laid down for the just,” who will not need the external coercion of the law to make responsible social choices. Their internal value system will guide their conduct in culture-affirming directions.

So the law is “for the lawless and disobedient…for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, (and) perjurers…” (1 Timothy 1:9-10, ESV).

The word translated “enslavers” (andropodistes) literally means a “man who brings others to his feet.” The lexicons define the word this way: “a slave dealer, kidnapper, man-stealer, one who unjustly reduces free men to slavery, or steals slaves of others and sells them.” So if the early colonists had followed either the Old or New Testaments, the slave trade would have been treated as criminal behavior from the very beginning, and America never would have been plagued with all the myriad evils that slavery and racism have brought to our land.

As Sowell has pointed out, the real question is not what created slavery but what ended it. And it was evangelical, Tea Party-types who brought this horrific and barabaric practice to an end. Sowell: “While slavery was common to all civilizations, as well as to peoples considered uncivilized, only one civilization developed a moral revulsion against it, very late in its history…not even the leading moralists in other civilizations rejected slavery at all….Moreover, within Western civilization, the principle impetus for the abolition of slavery came first from very conservative religious activists — people who would today be called ‘the religious right.’…this story is not ‘politically correct’ in today’s terms. Hence it is ignored, as if it never happened.“ (Emphasis mine.)

Bottom line: If the Scriptures had been followed instead of Sharia law, there would have been no slavery in America, no Civil War, and no racial unrest. Let’s stop Sharia in its tracks everywhere before we make another disastrous concession to this dark and dangerous religion.

Follow me on Twitter: @BryanJFischer, on Facebook at “Focal Point”

— Hat tip: JP

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Soros Denies Funding Wall Street Protests

(AGI) Houston — After saying he “understands their state of mind”, billionaire and finance guru George Soros has denied having financed the Wall Street ‘indignados’. This statement made a few days ago had resulted in controversies and allegations, including one by radio commentator Rush Limbaugh about financial aid provided to protesters by Soros. Spokesman Michael Vachon said that “Soros has not financed protesters directly or indirectly, and these allegations are simply an attempt to question the movement’s honesty.” ..

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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A Place for Muslims to Meet and Pray

Estevan now boasts another example of the changing demographics in the city: a place for Muslims to gather for their daily prayers, and a spot where they can meet, interact and learn more about what is offered in the city. The Abu Bakkar Al-Siddiq Musallah and Dawah Centre opened on October 8. It’s located at the Pine Tree Plaza’s east entrance, at the intersection of Fifth Street and 11th Avenue in Estevan.

Three local men — Ilyas Brant-Zakariyya, Isxaaq Jimale and Mohamed Warsame — came together to open the centre. They found a location, negotiated the rent and did other work to get it open. Brant-Zakariyya was born in Canada and converted to Islam in 2007. When he moved from Toronto to Estevan in February, he noticed that Estevan didn’t have a building where Muslims could gather. And there wasn’t a way to know how many Muslims there were in Estevan, either. “We found there are about 30 or 40 of us here,” said Brant-Zakariyya. “Part of our faith is the masiad. We call this a musallah because it’s small and we don’t have an imam to lead. An imam would be equal to a preacher or a minister in the church.”

The three men who opened up the musallah have met people that they didn’t know previously. As many as 20 people have been coming for prayers. “It changes depending on the time of day, because people have been working, or are just getting off of work,” said Brant-Zakariyya. “This time — the second afternoon prayer — is usually lower in numbers than the other prayers.” He admitted that he was somewhat surprised to find so many Muslim in Estevan. He expected there would be some among the city’s transient population, but he didn’t think there would be as many Muslims who are full-time residents.

Muslims pray five times daily, but the times change based on the time of year and the position of the sun and the moon. In mid-October, prayer times are typically about 6:10 a.m., 1 p.m., 5:15 p.m., shortly after 6 p.m., and 8:45 p.m. During the summer months, those prayer times differ significantly. “About the earliest prayer comes at about 3 a.m., … and the last prayer will be at 11 p.m.,” said Brant-Zakariyya. The centre opens at about 1 p.m. each day and it remains open until after the final prayer time is finished.

It is also a place where Muslims who are new to the community can learn more about the city. People who aren’t of the Islamic faith are invited to drop by and have their questions answered about the beliefs of Brant-Zakariyya, Warsame, Jimale, and more than a billion people around the world. Warsame and Jimale are both originally from Somalia. Jimale has been in Canada for three years; he came to the country from Kenya after leaving Somalia. He has been in several cities; the most recent was Regina. Jimale arrived in Estevan about a year-and-a-half ago.

“When I came to Estevan, the Muslims rarely knew each other, or knew where each one was,” said Jimale. “Now that we have this centre, more people will be able to gather here, and we’ll actually be able to keep in contact.” Warsame immigrated to Canada two years ago to work in Edmonton. He relocated to Estevan in February. All three of them look forward to working with other faith-based groups in the community to improve the lives of people in the city. “Essentially, how we feel as a community is that Christianity, Judaism and Islam, we are all, at the end of the day, worshiping the same creator,” said Brant-Zakariyya. “There’s no reason we can’t all work together in the community, to help the community be more successful. Food drives, clothing drives, what have you, we’re more than open to work with other people of faith to help out the community of Estevan.”

Not only do they want to be a part of the community, but they want people to have a better understanding of their faith. Islam is based on peace and submission, not hatred. Everything in the world is Allah’s creation, Brant-Zakariyya said. There are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world, Brant-Zakariyya said, but it’s been a few thousand criminals who have led many to have negative perceptions of Islam. Brant-Zakariyya backs up his claims by pointing to a couple teachings from the Prophet Muhammad: nobody has true faith until they wish for their brother that which they wish for themselves; and Muslims who are intentionally unjust to Christians or Jews will face Muhammad as their accuser, and not as their intercessor.

Brant-Zakariyya, Jimale and Warsame would like to hire an imam to lead the musallah, but first they need more people. Regina and Saskatoon have imams that guide their centres, and preside over marriages and funerals. “It would give us more knowledge,” said Warsame. “It would give us ideas. If we have any questions, we would be able to go to him for answers.”

Moose Jaw and Swift Current also have a musallah, but not an imam. An imam from Regina will be coming to Estevan soon to meet with the local Muslim community and assist with establishing roles at the musallah. They would like to make a connection with somebody who can prepare halal meals. “We’re required to eat halal if it’s available,” said Brant-Zakariyya. “That means it’s been taken in a way that God has made lawful. Before the animal’s life is taken, you have to put the animal completely at ease. You must use an implement that’s as sharp as you can possibly make it, and it must be hidden from the animal until just before you use it, so that you’re not taunting the animal with it.”

The animal must be killed as quickly and as painlessly as possible, so that all the blood comes out. The most important part, Brant-Zakariyya said, is that before a drop of the animal’s blood hits the ground, the person must invoke the name of Allah. There will be more space for the musallah soon, as the worship centre will relocate to the north side of the Pine Tree Plaza in December. Sisters — women who are of the Muslim faith — will then be able to use the building. There are less than 10 sisters in Estevan, Brant-Zakariyya said.

The centre is named after Abu Bakkar, who was the closest friend of the prophet Muhammad, and the first male believer of Muhammad outside of Muhammad’s family. Abu Bakkar’s nickname was As-Siddiq, which translates to “The Truthful.” A musallah is a place of prayer, and a dawah is a place to spread their faith.

— Hat tip: JP

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Open House on Islam — Saturday

An outreach group promoting “peace” and “peaceful Islam” is holding an open house on the Holy Qur’an this Saturday at the Belleville Public Library art gallery. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association Canada, said organizer Rizwan Rabbani, is an auxiliary wing of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (www.alislam.org ) presenting the open house. It’s part of a campaign begun over a year ago to meet Canadians from all walks of life to explain Islam and the Qur’an, said organizers of the open house. “We have been canvassing neighbourhoods throughout Canada,” said Rabbani, “promoting peace, condemning terrorism and bringing awareness about peaceful Islam.” Saturday’s open house is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

— Hat tip: JP

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Cyprus on the World Stage

by Daniel Pipes

Cyprus, an island near Turkey and Syria of roughly 1.3 million inhabitants, finds itself on the cusp of momentous change. As it belatedly makes its grand debut on the world stage after domestic Greek-Turkish communal issues have consumed its first 51 years of independence, it faces both great opportunity and great danger.

That communal problem originated in 1570, when the Ottoman Empire conquered the island and its almost entirely Greek-speaking Orthodox Christian population. Over the next three centuries, immigration from Anatolia created a Turkish-speaking Muslim minority. British rule between 1878 and 1960 left this situation basically unchanged. At the time of Cypriot independence in 1960, Turks constituted one-sixth of the population.

Second, the June 2010 discovery of gas and oil reserves (“Leviathan”) in Israel’s Mediterranean Sea exclusive economic zone, right near the Cypriot EEZ, suddenly made Cyprus a player in the world energy market. Cypriots talk of 300 trillion cubic feet worth US$4 trillion. Such numbers attract covetous gazes, especially from Ankara, which demands (via the TRNC) its share of future gas income. Further, the AKP’s escalating anti-Zionism combined with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s strategic ambitions suggest Turkish claims extending to Israeli-controlled waters. In conjunction, these two developments — growing Turkish ambitions and possible gas deposits in the trillions — link Cyprus and Israel in self-defense. Leading Greek Cypriot figures in the government, the media, and business told me during a just-concluded trip to the island about their urgent wish to build economic and security relations with Israel.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Finnish Schools to Teach Islam

HELSINKI — Seeking to teach younger generations about Islam, Finland has introduced textbooks about the Islamic faith and Muslim traditions in public schools. “The stories are set in Finland so that the events would have resonance with the lives of the pupils,” Suaad Onniselka, an author of the textbook, said, reported Ahlul Bayt news agency. The new book, tilted “Salam — islamin polku (Salam — the Path of Islam), teaches pupils about the Islamic calendar and Muslim traditions. It also teaches young Finnish about other religions and the importance of tolerance for others.

The book features two Finnish Muslim children, Fatima and Adam, who visit a forest, a grandmother’s farm, and bake wheat buns. “The status of Islam as a minority religion is reflected in the fact that the stories also teach how it is possible to live along with other people even though the religion and customs are different,” said Onniselka, who teaches Islam at the lower level comprehensive school in Vesala in the east of Helsinki. The textbook is designed for the first and second school grades. Books for higher grades are currently being drafted. The Islam textbook has already won plaudits from young Finnish pupils. “The stories are good, because the girl and the boy behave well toward each other,” said 8-year-old Sami Dirie. The young child is planning to read the stories at home with his parents. For 8-year-old Inas Ahmad, the pictures in the Islam book are nice.

Imam Training

The move comes amid calls for the Finnish government to launch a training program for Muslim imams. “It’s important that members of the Islamic community-as those of other faiths-have strong ties to Finnish society, its language and culture,” said Archbishop Kari Makinen, the head of Finland’s dominant Evangelical Lutheran Church. He told a seminar on religious literacy and inter-faith cooperation on Wednesday that home-grown imams would help make Finnish Muslims feel at home. Finland has no ready formula for national imam training programs.

Finland’s neighbor the Netherland has launched a program in 2006 to train imams in an effort to promote Muslim integration into the society. “We should redefine what an imam does, and the role of this religious institution in today’s world,” said Mohamed El-Fatatry, founder of the popular Muslim online community Muxlim. “People today have a strong individual identity and won’t just accept information that’s handed down.” There are between 40,000 to 45,000 Muslims among Finland’s 5.2 million population. Islam was introduced to Finland by Baltic Tatars at the end of the 19th century. The Baltic Tatars arrived in Finland as merchants and soldiers at the end of the 19th century. They were later joined by other family members.

— Hat tip: JP

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France: Starbucks Withdraws Controversial Poster

Starbucks France has run into trouble with an anti-pickpocketing poster which some customers found racist. The poster by the American coffee company shows a man with dark skin surrounded by arrows pointing at a mobile phone, a laptop, a rucksack and a wallet. The text on the poster reads: “Be on your guard against unusual behaviour from a stranger. Don’t let pickpockets spoil your moment of relaxation at Starbucks. Keep an eye on your belongings.” A customer in a Paris branch of the store took offence when he saw the poster and alerted anti-racist group, SOS Racisme. The group demanded the withdrawal of the poster, saying it “targeted a minority” and attributed “delinquent behaviour” to them, reported newspaper Ouest-France.

Starbucks rushed to insist the man on the poster was supposed to represent a customer, not the thief. A similar poster shows a white woman instead of the man. “The posters have been misunderstood,” said a spokesperson. “People thought it was a pickpocket but the drawings represented clients.” Starbucks, which employs 1,000 people in France, has withdrawn the posters from its stores.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Greece: Historic Byzantine and Venetian Fortresses at Risk

(ANSAmed) — ATHENS, OCTOBER 3 — Fortresses — symbols of the wealth and power of the Byzantine and Venetian period and built on Greek territory from the V to the XV century to provide protection for the population — are an important part of the cultural heritage of Greece, where they are found almost everywhere. Most of them are located in the Peloponnese where — according to Dimitris Athanasoulis, director of the 25th Superintendence of Byzantine Antiquities — only in the Messinia (in the southern Peloponnese) zone there are over 50. The problem is that they are abandoned and as time goes by they are at risk of collapse, as has already happened a number of times, and many are not even able to be reached nor visited. In order to raise awareness on this cultural wealth within the country and to help save them, the 25th Superintendence in collaboration with the Patras Architects University held an international conference on “Defensive Architecture in the Peloponnese” which — inaugurated by Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos — came to an end yesterday. Taking part in the conference were 41 experts including archaeologists, architects and historians from Greece and abroad, who discussed a number of subjects concerning fortresses in the Byzantine period, defensive works in the West and its influence on the Byzantine variety. “The identity of modern Greece,” said Minister Geroulanos in his speech, “is seen by the way in which it manages its enormous cultural heritage, the way in which it protects it and with which it spreads knowledge of it to every corner of the globe.” As part of these initiatives to raise awareness of this type of cultural heritage in Greece, Greece’s Central Archaeological Council has decided recently to valorise the Pylos Fortress, also known as Niocastro, which was built by the Ottomans in 1573 shorting after their defeat in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.

The city’s Archaeological Museum will soon be transferred inside of it, in which exhibitions will be held and a film will be shown with the historical reconstruction of the naval battle of Navarino.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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In Italian Heartland, Indians Keep the Cheese Coming

PESSINA CREMONESE, ITALY — Alongside common local last names like Ferrari and Galli, the telephone directories for the province of Cremona have been registering an increasingly present surname: Singh.

For the past 20 years, Indian immigrants from Punjab have been settling in Italy’s agricultural heartland to work primarily on farms, often as bergamini, as dairy workers are known in the native dialect.

It has been said that if the Indian workers went on strike, production of Grana Padano, the hard, grainy, spaghetti-topper that this tract of the Po Valley is known for, would shut down.

“Well, I don’t know if production would stop, but it would certainly create many difficulties,” said Simone Solfanelli, the president of the Cremona chapter of Coldiretti, Italy’s largest agricultural organization. “I can tell you that they are indispensable for farming,” and for the milk produced in the province — at one million tons per year, about a tenth of all milk produced in Italy, he added.

The Indians, many of whom are Sikhs, first arrived in the area just as a generation of dairy workers was retiring, with no substitutes in sight.

“They saved an economy that would have gone to the dogs because young people didn’t want to work with cows,” Mayor Dalido Malaggi of Pessina Cremonese said. Though the dairy industry is mostly mechanized today, human labor is still necessary 365 days a year, he explained.

The work is split in two four-hour shifts per day, about 12 hours apart. “Young Italians don’t want to work those kinds of hours,” he said. “They’d prefer to work in factories and have evenings and weekends free.”

It was a fortunate match, because many of the immigrants already knew what it took to keep a farm running.

“This is dairy land, and many of us have cows in Punjab,” said Jaswinder Duhra, who has lived in Italy for 25 years, working first as a bergamino and then for one of Italy’s best-known cheese manufacturers. “We’re used to the work that we do here.”…

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Italy: General Graziano Appointed Army Chief of Staff

(AGI) Rome — General Claudio Graziano has been appointed as the new Italian army chief of staff. The cabinet decided today on recommendation from Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa who said Graziano, formerly UNIFIL mission chief, was chosen “even if there were candidates with greater seniority.” .

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Norway: Police Doubt Breivik’s Claim of 80 Terrorist Cells

Norwegian extremist Anders Behring Breivik, who has confessed to twin attacks in July that killed 77 people, says there are “up to 80 cells” in Europe engaged in anti-Islam crusades like his, police said on Thursday.

They added however that they did not believe his claims.

“During our interrogations, he claimed there were two other cells in Norway and probably up to 80 people, 80 cells in Europe,” police prosecutor Christian Hatlo told AFP.

“But we don’t believe it,” he said.

— Hat tip: KGS

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Norwegian Teachers Less Brainy Than Before: Study

Norwegian teachers are 10 percent “less intelligent” than they were 10 years ago according to a study by professors at the Norwegian School of Economics in Bergen, or NHH.

Low pay is blamed for a brain drain which contributed to lower scores on a recent IQ test which teachers of a decade ago were also asked to brave. A general study of 25,000 young men entering new professions showed the golden age for teaching in Norway was the 1950s, when the best and brightest thought the profession worth the headaches.

“It has steadily gone downwards with measured IQ for male teachers,” NHH’s professor Kjell Gunnar Salvanes told TV2 news. The Local could not reach Salvanes or the report’s two other professorial co-authors.

Teachers in Norway have long been derided for “easy degrees” that translate into early childhood education diplomas in other western countries. Low Europe-wide test scores for Norwegian school children and erratic working days have also brought scorn from parents.

Salvanes surveyed only Norwegian males born between 1950 and 1980 and linked their IQ test scores to choice of profession at the age of 18. On a scale of one to nine, those saying they would become teachers fared one point better in 1950 than those in 1980.

“Teachers scored relatively higher compared to the rest of the population, but scoring so much less than earlier (in the century) is dramatic,” according to Salvanes. He and his colleagues found that as many as 30 percent of teachers leave the profession for better prospects elsewhere.

Although a modest-for-Norway salary was attributed for the flight from teaching, teachers The Local spoke to said pay was secondary to a long list of other grievances that included having to parrot buzzwords conveyed from the Education Ministry; a painful powerlessness to discipline unruly students and the general stress caused by mixing an untidy planning schedule with classroom conditions.

In general, ex-teachers said they lamented the loss of their famously long summer vacations but not the unrelenting stress of a teaching day short on teaching.

The labour economics expert Salvanes did not respond to our calls, and his colleagues could not be reached to answer the following questions: Why were just men studied? Did the IQ tests change?

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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UK: Abusive Yobs Could Avoid Prosecution Under Proposals

Abusive troublemakers who call British soldiers murderers or burn poppies on Remembrance Day could escape prosecution under moves to scrap “insulting behaviour” as a criminal offence.

Thugs who swear at police officers or even use racist language could also avoid arrest under any changes to the law. However, in a separate move police are to be given the power to create “no-go areas” with blanket curfew orders and be able to order people to remove face coverings, in proposals being discussed.

The Home Office is consulting on whether to remove the word “insulting” from the public order offence of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour. It follows pressure that its inclusion has resulted in petty arrests such as a student who called a police horse “gay” and a teenager who labelled the Church of Scientology a “cult”. However, charges were dropped against them and changing the law would mean genuinely abusive people would also escape arrest such as the Luton anti-war protesters who accused British soldiers of being “terrorists” and “Butchers of Basra”. A Muslim who burned two poppies during the two minute silence in last year’s Remembrance Day commemorations may also have escaped prosecution if the law had been changed then.

Air Commodore Andrew Lambert, of the UK National Defence Association, questioned why the law could not be drafted so flippant remarks or jokes would be excluded. “I would be concerned if the result was that we have groups of anarchists hurling abuse at our soldiers, sailors and airmen and getting away with it.” Patrick Mercer, the Tory MP and former Army officer, said: “There is a narrow path to be walked on this but there is no question that the language that was hurled at soldiers in Luton was totally offensive and disrespectful.

“That must be borne in mind when the legislation is being looked at.”

In June, police chiefs were accused of surrendering to foul-mouthed yobs after it emerged the Metropolitan Police had issued internal guidance to officers telling them not to arrest them. The internal guidance suggested an officer who is the subject of the abuse would not be upset by it and it therefore would not cause harm. In other measures, yesterday’s consultation document examined giving police more powers to tackle yobs, especially during times of disorder, in the wake of the summer riots. Under new curfew plans, officers would be able to bar anyone from being in entire areas for a certain period of time if there was a risk of public disorder. It raises the prospect of parts of a town or city centre being effectively closed down to the public to prevent violence or disturbances. There are also proposals to give police to power to order a scarf, mask or other face covering to be removed if they suspect the individual is or is about to be involved in crime.

The consultation was published yesterday as police representatives and academics from around the world met at the Home Office for a seminar on tackling gangs. Officials from the United States, Jamaica, France, Spain, Sweden and Austria gathered for a private meeting at the start of what is hoped will become a lasting international network of experts on gangs. Theresa May, the Home Secretary, hosted the event, which was promised in the wake of the riots. Guests included US “supercop” Bill Bratton who was to share his experiences tackling gangs as head of police departments in New York, Boston and Los Angeles over the last two decades.

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Bookseller Accused of ‘Priming People for Terrorism’

Ahmed Faraz sold books and DVDs intended to radicalise Muslims, a court hears

A graduate who trained to be a teacher used his Birmingham bookshop as a front to distribute extremist material intended to “prime people for terrorism”, a court was told on Thursday. Ahmed Faraz is accused of selling books and DVDs intended to radicalise Muslims and provide “practical assistance” to those wishing to commit acts of terrorism.

The 32-year-old is charged with selling items that ended up in the hands of “infamous terrorists” including Mohammad Sidique Khan, the leader of the 7 July 2005 bombings, a jury at Kingston crown court in south-west London was told.

“This case is about the distribution of books and DVDs and other material which we say represent steps along the road to radicalisation of Muslims to engage in violent terrorist attacks around the world, including the UK,” said the prosecuting lawyer, Max Hill QC. “This case is also about the ways and means by which to solidify that radicalisation and provide practical assistance for those who have been radicalised. To encapsulate it in a single phrase, this case is about priming people for terrorism,” he added.

Faraz, who has a BA and a PGCE teaching qualification from the University of Birmingham, denies 30 counts linked to the Maktabah al-Ansar bookshop and online business that he ran in Birmingham. Although he is not connected to any specific terrorist plot, the court was told that those convicted of plotting to blow up planes over the Atlantic owned material published by Maktabah al-Ansar. “Several of the publications distributed by this defendant did end up in the hands of individuals, many of them now notorious — or infamous — terrorists who have stood trial in English courtrooms such as this in the last five years and are now serving long prison sentences, having been found guilty of plotting to terrorise the British public,” said Hill. “These individuals include those plotting to blow up transatlantic planes. In addition, items on this indictment were found in the hands of terrorists including one who is not serving time in prison — Mohammad Sidique Khan, the leader of the 7/7 plot in which 52 London commuters died and in which Khan himself also perished.”

The case continues.

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Birmingham Bookshop Owner Ahmed Faraz Faces Terror Charges

A bookshop owner from Birmingham has gone on trial accused of “priming” Muslims for terrorism worldwide. Ahmed Faraz allegedly distributed extremist books and videos in a bid to encourage attacks by Muslims. Kingston Crown Court heard that the ringleader of the 7 July London suicide bombings owned material distributed by Mr Faraz and his business.

The Birmingham University graduate denies 30 charges of distributing or possessing terrorism-related material. Max Hill QC, prosecuting, told the jury that Mr Faraz, 32, was not accused of being part of a specific plot.

Beheading video

Mr Hill said: “This case is about the distribution of books, DVDs and other material that we say represents steps along the road to radicalisation of Muslims to engage in violent terrorist attacks against the military and civilian populations of countries around the world, including the UK. “The case is also about the ways and means of solidifying that radicalisation. This is about priming people for terrorism.” The jury heard that at the heart of the case was a bookshop and online business in Birmingham called Maktabah al-Ansar.

Police raided properties linked to the business and Mr Faraz in 2007 and 2010 and seized large quantities of material that expert witnesses say is designed to encourage violence, terrorism and martyrdom. The material included videos of hostage-takings and beheadings, said Mr Hill. The jury would watch heavily edited versions so that they could understand how the films had been designed to radicalise the viewer.

Airline plot ‘link’

Mr Hill told the jury that police had found that some of the material distributed by Maktabah had been in the hands of men behind the UK’s most serious plots, including Mohammed Sidique Khan, the leader of the 2005 London suicide bombers. Some of the men jailed for life for the foiled 2006 airline bomb plot also had Maktabah material. Mr Hill told the jury that during the coming weeks, an expert witness would take them through hundreds of pages of Islamic texts and demonstrate how Mr Faraz had adapted them to provide “a clarion call to terrorist violence”. Ahmed Faraz denies 19 counts of dissemination of terrorist publications and a further 11 counts of possession of information useful for terrorism.

The trial continues.

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Law That Put Poppy Burning Fanatics in the Dock Faces the Axe

Restriction on ‘insulting’ speech is unfair, say civil liberties groups

A law used to prosecute Muslim extremists for burning poppies on Remembrance Sunday is set to be scrapped.

The proposal is part of Home Office changes to public order laws in the wake of the summer riots, which will also see police given new powers to impose blanket curfews and to force rioters to remove face masks.

Currently it is an offence to use ‘threatening, abusive or insulting’ words in public, under section five of the Public Order Act 1986.

But civil liberties groups claim the restriction on ‘insulting’ speech is an unfair curb on free speech.

Religious groups have also criticised the law because the police have used it to arrest harmless Christian protesters.

A member of Muslims Against Crusades, Emdadur Choudhury, was successfully prosecuted under the Act after burning two huge poppies during the two-minute silence marking the country’s war dead last November.

Choudhury, from Bethnal Green, East London, outraged war veterans by yelling ‘British soldiers burn in hell’. He was fined £50.

Sentencing him in March, District Judge Howard Riddle said: ‘The two-minute chanting, when others were observing a silence, followed by a burning of the symbol of remembrance, was a calculated and deliberate insult to the dead and those who mourn or remember them.

‘If the memory of dead soldiers is publicly insulted at a time and place where there is likely to be gathered people who have expressly attended to honour those soldiers, then the threat to public order is obvious.

But other cases in which the Act has been used by police have provoked outrage. In 2006 an Oxford University student on a night out asked a mounted police officer if he realised his horse was gay.

After refusing to pay an £80 fine he was held overnight in a police cell before charges were dropped.

The law was also used to arrest two Christian hoteliers accused of asking a Muslim guest if she was a murderer and a terrorist because she was wearing a hijab.

But the judge dismissed the case after a two-day trial because the prosecution witnesses were unreliable.

In May 2008 City of London police charged a teenager under section 5 for demonstrating outside the Church of Scientology in central London with a placard which said: ‘Scientology is not a religion, it is a dangerous cult.’ Charges were dropped when prosecutors accepted the word cult was not insulting.

A group of MPs have backed an amendment to the Freedoms Bill currently passing through Parliament calling for section 5 to be amended to remove ‘insulting’ speech or behaviour.

Home Office proposals published yesterday argue serious and distressing conduct would still be prosecuted because it would be considered either abusive or threatening.

They would give police a ‘general curfew power’ allowing them to keep members of the public off the streets in a certain area at particular times if there is ‘serious disorder’.

Decisions would be made by a senior officer and would be based on ‘credible intelligence of a serious threat’.

Police can only force someone to remove a mask in a certain area if there is a threat of violence. The new powers would ditch the requirement for approval from a senior officer.

As the proposals were published yesterday, Home Secretary Theresa May hosted an international conference on gangs.

Home Office crime and security minister James Brokenshire said: ‘It is essential the police have all appropriate powers at their disposal to maintain public order.

‘We must ensure officers on the ground have all the necessary legal measures available to them to protect our streets and keep the public safe.

‘But we must also make sure any new powers do not trample upon traditional British freedoms — that is why we are seeking public views on the powers the police really need to keep our communities safe.’

— Hat tip: Gaia

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UK: Meet Moazzem Begg: Al-Qaeda and Taliban Supporter and Latest Guardian Contributor

For some reason, the Guardian never publishes essays by prominent liberal Muslims such as Irshad Manji, Hasan Afzal, or Khaled Abu Toameh. However, when it comes to radical, terror-supporting Muslims, the world’s leading liberal voice is typically happy to oblige. Recently, they published an essay by former Guantánamo Bay prisoner Moazzam Begg, of the group Cagedprisoners (“Why is Canada acting like a Guantanamo Bay camp guard”), Oct. 13th, on Canada’s decision to refuse him entry into the country.

Begg was apparently refused entry on the grounds that his name is on a U.S. no-fly list and because he has admitted to being a former member of Al Qaeda and the Taliban.

In his CiF column, Begg, in characterizing the injustice of being detained by Canadian officials, likened himself to Nelson Mandela and implied he was just another victim of Western Islamophobia.

However, evidence regarding Begg’s history of active support for terrorism is overwhelming. Begg is widely believed by American intelligence officials to have been a member of Al-Qaida, and attended terrorist training camps in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and England “so he could assist in waging jihad against enemies of Islam.” Begg assisted several prominent terrorists and discussed potential terrorist acts with them; recruited young operatives for global jihad; and provided financial support for terrorist training camps.

Moazzam Begg is also ideologically associated with the Taliban and had a longstanding relationship with al Qaeda cleric Anwar al Awlaki, the senior recruiter and motivator who was involved with planning operations for al-Qaeda who was recently killed by U.S. forces. Al Awlaki’s sermons are alleged to have helped motivate at least three terrorist attacks inside the United States.

Begg’s group, Cagedprisoners, lobbied to free al Awlaki from Yemeni custody after he was detained in 2006, broadcast a live message from al Awlaki during a fundraising event and reproduced Awlaki’s propaganda on its website. Cagedprisoners’ goal seemed to be to spread Awlaki’s terrorist message in the UK — which Awlaki has repeatedly targeted as a recruiting ground. In fact, Moazzam Begg confirmed, in his own autobiography, that he is a jihadist.

Despite Begg’s claims, in his CiF essay and elsewhere, that his confessions (regarding his links to jihadists) were made while tortured, the U.S. Department of Justice’s investigation failed to substantiate Begg’s claims of torture, and found that his confession at Gitmo was voluntarily given

Following the death of Osama bin Laden, Begg’s site, Cagedprisoners, posted this sick parody titled “BREAKING NEWS: BARACK OBAMA IS DEAD”, which included this:

American War Criminal Barack Obama has been killed by Pakistani security forces in the UK, Prime Minister Hasan Abdullah of Pakistan has said.

Obama was shot dead at a compound near Camberley, in a ground operation based on Pakistani intelligence, the first lead for which emerged last August.

Mr Abdullah said Pakistan forces took possession of the body after “a firefight”. Obama is believed to have ordered almost 200 attacks in North and South Waziristan between 2009 and 2011 in which almost 2000 people were killed, when he served as Commander-in-Chief of the US Armed Forces. Obama is also believed to have ordered the continued bombardment of Afghanistan during the same period in which thousands of others were killed.

The satire, supposed to be read as an exercise in moral equivalence between Obama and Bin Laden, included the following image. (FYI, this photo is the censored version):

[…]

The Guardian’s definition of what passes for liberalism seems to include even those advocating the most extreme religious intolerance, racism, and terrorism — with one small caveat.

Such “activists” must, of course, also possess the requisite hostility to the U.S., Israel, and the West.

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: No Arrest for Poppy Attacks in Shake-Up

BURNING poppies or abusing soldiers may no longer be illegal under plans unveiled yesterday. Ministers are considering making it legal to use insulting words or actions to avoid “criminalising free speech”. Yobs can currently be nicked for being “threatening, abusive or insulting”. Emdadur Choudhury, 26, was charged last year after burning poppies and five Muslims were convicted for shouting insults at a homecoming parade. Ministers have also unveiled plans to let cops make thugs remove “face coverings” or masks. But minister James Brokenshire said: “We must make sure any powers do not trample upon traditional British freedoms.” Meanwhile, tighter laws brought in by Theresa May saw the number of anti-terror stop and searches fall from 102,504 to 9,652 last year.

— Hat tip: JP

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About 7,000 Arrested by Libya’s NTC, UN Says

(AGI) Geneva — About 7,000 people, most of them foreigners, have been arrested by Libya’s NTC forces since the conflict started. It emerges from data collected by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights that sent a delegation to Tripoli, Benghazi and Misrata on October 4-10 to assess the human rights situation in the country.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Destruction of Copts is Islamically Correct

by Diana West

I am looking at a reproduction of an old engraving of Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It is in Bat Ye’or’s book “The Dhimmi,” which collects primary documents from history to chronicle the impact of Islamic law on non-Muslims through the centuries.

What is notable about the image, which is based on an 1856 photograph, is that the church, said to be at the site of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and burial, has no cross and no belfry. Stripped of its Christian symbols, the church stood in compliance with the Islamic law and traditions of the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire, which ruled Jerusalem at the time.

I went back to the book to find this image for a reason. It had to do with last weekend’s massacre of two dozen Coptic Christians in Cairo by Egyptian military and street mobs, which also left hundreds wounded. The unarmed Copts were protesting the destruction of yet another church in Egypt, St. George’s, which on Sept. 30 was set upon by thousands of Muslim men following Friday prayers. Why? The trigger was repair work on the building — work that the local council and governor had approved.

Does that explanation make any sense? Not to anyone ignorant of Islamic law. Unfortunately, that criterion includes virtually all media reporting the story.

Raymond Ibrahim, an Islam specialist, Arabic speaker and author of “The Al Qaeda Reader” (Broadway, 2007), catalogs the key sequence of events that turned a church renovation project into terror and flames. With repair work in progress, he writes online at Hudson New York, “It was not long before local Muslims began complaining, making various demands, including that the church be devoid of crosses and bells — even though the permit approved them — citing that ‘the cross irritates Muslims and their children.’“

Those details drove me to re-examine the de-Christianized 19th-century image of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher — no cross, no bells. It becomes a revealing illustration of Islamic history repeating itself in this “Shariah Autumn,” the deadly but natural harvest of the grotesquely branded “Arab Spring.”

Given our see-no-Shariah media (and government), we have no context in which to place such events. That context is Shariah society, advanced (but by no means initiated) by “Arab Spring,” where non-Muslims — “dhimmi” — occupy a place defined for them by Islamic law and tradition. Theologian, author and Anglican pastor Mark Durie elaborates at markdurie.com: “Dhimmi are permitted to live in an Islamic state under terms of surrender as laid out in the ‘dhimma’ pact.” Such terms, Durie writes, “are a well-established part of Islamic law and can be found laid out in countless legal text books.” When non-Muslims violate these terms, they become subject to attack.

To place the dhimmi pact in comparable Western terms is to say the West has its Magna Carta, Islam has its Pact of Umar. Among other things, this seminal pact governing Muslim and non-Muslims relations stipulates, Durie notes, the condition that Christians “will neither erect in our areas a monastery, church or sanctuary for a monk, nor restore any place of worship that needs restoration.”

Thus, this anti-Coptic violence, which for the moment has caught world attention, is Islamically correct…

— Hat tip: Diana West

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Egypt’s State Media Implicated in Violence Against Christian Demonstrators

by Mary Abdelmassih

(AINA) — Egyptian state television has been accused of spreading false information and inciting violence against Christians protesting in front of the TV building in Maspero on October 9. Calls have been made for the Information Minister Osama Heikal to resign. Egyptian lawyer Hamdi el-Assuiti filed a complaint with the Prosecutor General against the Minister of Information and TV presenter Rasha Magdi, accusing them of “deliberate broadcast of false news, information and rumors, which disturbed public security, causing terror among the public, and harming public interest.”

While the event of the attack on the Copts was ongoing, news presenters called on Egyptians to come to the aid of their armed forces, which were being attacked by “armed Coptic protesters, killing three military personnel and wounding many,” said broadcaster Rasha Magdi. The news bar read the same for over three hours.

Angry Muslim young men from the neighbouring Boulak, Sabtiya and Ezbet el Safih in Ramsis, hurried to the help the army, chanting anti-Christian slogans and intercepting Copts in the streets and assaulting them with stones, clubs, and firearms, before going to Maspero to join the military police attack on the peaceful protesters.

Dr. Emad Gad, head of strategic studies at Al Ahram Organization, called on the Minister to resign, saying the State television’s coverage “could have led to wide-scale massacres, or even civil war. I know Copts who did not go to work for two days, afraid to leave their homes.”

“This was devastating to the Muslim-Christian relationship,” said Nabil Sharaf-eldin, Muslim liberal and head of El-Azma electronic news wire, who attended the Maspero candle vigil before being joined by the 150,000 Christians arriving from Shubra district. He said on his way back home he heard Muslim comments against Christians, adding “it caused a spiritual divorce between them that will never heal.”

The Information Minister denied that military armored vehicles were crushing protesters alive. He denied it an interview with Al-Arabiya TV, only to be embarrassed by video footage showing army vehicles indiscriminately driving into crowds of Coptic protesters (Al-Arabiya video).

The State television issued a correction in the morning after the protest, saying no army personnel were killed and it was the fault of the “nervous” TV presenter.

Presenter Rasha Magdi appeared on an independent TV channel and said that she was given the text to read by a “big TV official” and was unaware of the clashes taking place outside the TV building. She admitted to being unprofessional by not mentioning how many Copts were killed.

Hundreds of journalists, broadcasters and public media figures marched today from Sahafa (Press) Street to the State-run TV building in Maspero to denounce the “Sectarianism of the media,” calling for the resignation of the Information Minister and a clean-up of the Egyptian State TV, accusing it of igniting sectarian strife.

The demonstrators held the military council and the Minister of Information responsible for the bloody clashes, which took place on Sunday night in front of the Maspero. They held Egyptian flags with the cross and the crescent (the symbol of Islam) on it and banners reading “Osama Haikal set Egypt on fire by the television’s coverage.”

Two days ago, Major Atman of the Supreme Council of the Armend Forces (SCAF) complimented the Egyptian state TV on its coverage of the Maspero incident.

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Egypt: Muslims Pelt Funeral Procession With Bricks as Coptic Church Condemns Attack, Calls for Three-Day Fast

Coptic church leaders have expressed horror at the events in Maspero, where 24 Copts were killed and over 200 were wounded. The church stressed that the Christian faith rejects violence.According to Egyptian journalist Mary Abdelmassih, writing for AINA — the Assyrian International News Agency — (www.aina.org) the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt issued a statement on October 10, which blasted the government for failing to find solutions to “problems that occur repeatedly and go unpunished.” The Church is asking all Copts to fast continuously for three days starting tomorrow “in order to have peace in Egypt.”

Coptic activist and writer Nader Shoukry said some Copts interpreted this demand, which the church has made only three times in its long history, as a way to implore “God’s help for the Copts,” AINA pointed out. The AINA report says that In Cairo, thousands of Copts marched to attend the funeral of the victims of what they termed the “October 9 Military Massacre.” They congregated in front of the Coptic hospital where most of the dead and injured were transported, and which was attacked the night before by Muslims, who hurled bricks and Molotov Cocktails at the victims’ families.

A funeral service presided by Pope Shenouda III was held for the Copts killed in Maspero, at 11 AM at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Abbasiya, Cairo, and was attended by over 10,000 Copts. The funeral was for five Copts only, as the rest of the victims are awaiting autopsies, on the advice of Coptic lawyers. “This is to safeguard the rights of the dead,” said attorney Dr. Ehab Ramzy, “otherwise the families could lose their case. We need proof.”

After the funeral, while still inside the Cathedral, the enraged Copts chanted “down with the junta rule and down with Tantawi.” [Mohamed Hussein Tantawi Soliman is an Egyptian Field Marshal and statesman. He is the commander-in-chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces]. AINA reports that according to priests and Coptic lawyers who were present at the Coptic Hospital, where the victims were brought, the death certificates issued by the authorities were misleading and did not reflect the true cause of death, which might let the assailants get away with the crime. Certificates showed the cause of death as being “stab wounds” and “cardiac arrest caused by fear.”

The families insisted on having the autopsies done, which were carried out on 17 bodies lying in the Coptic hospital. Independent doctors observed those who came from the Public Morgue to carry out the autopsies, AINA said in its report. Dr. Maged Lewis, a director at the Forensic Medicine Institute, commented that he had never seen corpses in this deplorable state before. “Bodies were mashed and bones were crushed; many had fractures and laceration of the intestines; while in others, death was caused by gun shots,” he said. AINA also says that eyewitnesses reported the army disposed of nine bodies by throwing them in the Nile. Two bodies remain unidentified, making the number of killed uncertain.

After midnight today, friends and relatives of the dead, carried the 17 caskets from the Coptic hospital to St. Mark’s Cathedral for the second funeral service. Near Ghamra bridge, bricks were hurled at the cortege, but the procession carried on to the Cathedral. AINA said the caskets were taken to St. Mary’s Church in “October 6” district, where they laid beside the 12 Copts who died in Embaba, defending their Church against Salafist attacks on May 7, 2011.

On their way back after the burial, the mourners were attacked by armed thugs who blocked the way and hurled Molotov cocktails at them; gun shots were heard. They sought shelter and called the army emergency phone line for help, they waited until morning but no one came. AINA reports the Coptic Church considers people who lost their lives on account of being Christian as “martyrs” and they will be buried together in a collective grave.

— Hat tip: JP

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Hillary Clinton Promises to Save Egypt’s Christians?

by Raymond Ibrahim

So how have the first manifestations of “democracy”-in the guise of the “Arab spring” and “people-power,” all hailed and supported by the U.S.-worked for religious minorities in the Arab world?

In post-revolutionary Egypt alone, Christians are suffering more abuses today, including from the state, than under ousted president Hosni Mubarak. After all, Egyptian military crushing the heads of Christian civilians with tanks, opening fire on them, and reportedly even dumping their bodies in the Nile to cover their deeds-all of this occurred under Field Marshall Mohamed Tantawi’s command, not during Mubarak’s 30 year reign.

But to return to our question-whether U.S. intervention would help the Copts in Egypt-the deplorable fact is, the Christians who have it worst are precisely those living in Muslim nations where the U.S. has intervened and is spending billions to create “democracies.”

Consider the silent extermination of Iraq’s “Christian Dogs.” Ever since the U.S. overthrew Saddam Hussein, beheading and crucifying Christians are not irregular occurrences; messages saying “you Christian dogs, leave or die,” are typical. Muslims threaten to “exterminate Iraqi Christians” and authoritative clerics issue fatwas asserting that “it is permissible to spill the blood of Iraqi Christians.” As John Eibner of Christian Solidarity International put it:

The threat of extermination is not empty. Since the collapse of Saddam Hussein’s regime, more than half the country’s Christian population has been forced by targeted violence to seek refuge abroad or to live away from their homes as internally displaced people. According to the Hammurabi Human Rights Organization, over 700 Christians, including bishops and priests, have been killed and 61 churches have been bombed. Seven years after the commencement of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Catholic Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk reports: “He who is not a Muslim in Iraq is a second-class citizen.”

In other words, Christian persecution has increased exponentially under U.S. occupation. As one top Vatican official put it, Christians, “paradoxically, were more protected under the dictatorship” of Saddam Hussein.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Italy: ENI Reopens Greenstream Pipeline From Libya

‘Excellent’ work with Libyan oil corporation after 8-month break

(ANSA) — Rome, October 13 — Italian oil giant Eni said Thursday it was reopening its major Greenstream gas pipeline from Libya, closed for eight months because of the fighting in the north African country.

Eni said it and Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) had “initiated today testing activities for the release of natural gas into the Greenstream pipeline”, which connects a treatment plant at the western Libyan coastal city of Mellitah to Gela in Sicily.

“The volumes of gas shipped during the testing period mark the preliminary restart of the pipeline operations after eight months of stoppages due to the conflict in Libya,” a statement said. Eni and NOC, who are equal partners in Greenstream and the Mellitah Oil & Gas Company, the operator of their oil fields in Libya, “have been working together, during the past months, to progressively restore production activities in all their fields in Libya.

“The restart of the Greenstream is the result of excellent cooperation between NOC and Eni, and represents the first major milestone reached by Eni’s strong commitment to bring greater energy security to Italy,” the statement said.

Libya’s post-Gaddafi transitional government recently said it would respect all pre-existing oil and gas deals with Italy.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Libyan Sufi Mosques Attacked

Well that didn’t take long. The despotic lid of Gaddafi’s dictatorship is lifted and the pot quickly starts to simmer. Given that the NTC is failing to grip the country others are muscling in with their version of what the new Libya’s identity should look like. Islamic hard-liners have attacked half a dozen shrines in the Tunis area belonging to a Muslim sect they regard as practicing ‘Black magic’. The targets were Sufis, a mystical order which puts faith in contemplation, chanting, and is one of the more ‘liberal’ wings of Islamic belief.

They also have a tradition of praying over tombs of saints and asking for blessings, this is considered by some non Sufi Muslims to be offensive and acts of idolatry. They are attacked in many countries and the Sufis of Pakistan are in particular danger with dozens murdered this year. The AP news agency has highlighted two of the Libyan cases. In one bearded men in military uniforms trashed a Sufi shrine and burned holy relics. They also dug up the remains of two imams in order to bury them elsewhere.

In another neighbourhood about 150 men blocked roads before attacking a mosque and again digging up bodies for reburial. The attacks have drawn condemnation from the highest levels. The head of the NTC, Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, called for restraint saying the attackers were ‘not on the side of the revolution’. Senior clerics followed his example. Six attacks does not an Islamist takeover make, but they are one of many examples of the massive challenges facing the new Libya. Is it to be a democracy, where the rule of law, respect for minorities, and freedom of religious expression are the norm, or is just going to be like most of the other countries in the neighbourhood?

— Hat tip: JP

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Tunisia Police Teargas Protest at ‘Blasphemous’ TV Station

(AFP) — 7 hours ago TUNIS — Tunisian extremists fire-bombed the home of a TV station chief Friday, hours after militants protesting its broadcast of a film they say violated Islamic values clashed with police in the streets of Tunis.

About a hundred men, some of whom threw Molotov cocktails, lay siege to the home of Nessma private television chief Nabil Karoui late Friday, the station reported in its evening news bulletin.

Karoui’s family had only just escaped, the news presenter said as Nessma denounced the attack.

Sofiane Ben Hmida, one of Nessma’s star reporters, told AFP the station chief was not at home when the attack on his house took place around 7:00 pm (1800 GMT). But his wife and children were.

About 20 of the protesters were able to get inside.

“The family managed to get out the back and are safe. The attackers wrecked the house and set it on fire,” he added.

A neighbour, who had alerted police, said the aggressors arrived in taxis, armed with knives and Molotov cocktails.

According to a Nessma source “only a housemaid was present inside. She was attacked and hospitalised.”

Karoui himself said by telephone that he was shocked and devastated by the attack.

“I fear for my family. I am scared they (the attackers) will come back,” he said.

Interior ministry spokesman Hichem Meddeb said around a hundred people turned up outside the house, forced their way inside, broken the windows and torn out two gas pipes. Five people were arrested, he added.

Late Friday, 50 police officers were deployed at Karoui’s house, along with Nessma security staff.

This was the most serious incident yet in an escalating series of protests against the station’s broadcast of “Persepolis” on October 7.

The globally acclaimed animated film on Iran’s 1979 revolution offended many Muslims because it depicts an image of God as an old, bearded man. All depictions of God are forbidden by Islam.

Earlier Friday, police fired tear gas at demonstrators as some of the protests against the station degenerated.

The main demonstration began peacefully at a central Tunis mosque after Friday prayers, with men and women chanting slogans against Nessma. Thousands of people, many of them Salafist Muslims, were present.

But traders shut up shop as the group approached government offices and the rally grew tense as protesters approached the Kasbah area of Tunis where the main government buildings are located.

“Separate! Mixing of men and woman is prohibited,” shouted a Salafist as he divided the protesters.

Other protests took place elsewhere in the capital.

Those protesting were mainly Salafists, but they were joined by groups of youths with no obvious allegiance, who in some places began tearing up posts and throwing stones at police.

The officers replied with volleys of tear gas.

It was the second time protesters had demonstrated against the station this week. On Sunday, Tunisian police broke up a crowd of angry Salafists intent on attacking Nessma offices.

Already on Tuesday, Karoui had apologised for having broadcast the scene depicting God, but most mosque preachers devoted their Friday sermons to the issue. After the attack on his home, the station accused some imams of having incited the faithful to target station staff.

The protests have increased fears of unrest barely a week away from historic polls on October 23, the first since January’s overthrow of president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali.

Earlier this week, the national media and communication authority, INRIC, condemned “all attempts to terrorise media professionals.”

The government called for “respect for sacred things.”

In June, six Salafists were arrested in Tunis after they stormed a movie theater and broke its glass doors in a bid to stop the screening of the film “Neither Allah nor Master” on secularism in Tunisia.

Rights campaigners, including feminist activists, have expressed increasing concern at what they say is the hypocritical line being taken by some extremist groups in the run-up to the election.

They accuse groups like the Islamist party Ennahda, tipped to dominate the upcoming election, of publicly condemning violence while privately encouraging it.

— Hat tip: Steen

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A Deal With the Devil

The dramatic news this evening that Israel and the Hamas have agreed a deal which will see the return to Israel of its kidnapped soldier, Gilad Shalit, will be provoke the most bitterly mixed reactions amongst Israelis and all who care about peace and justice. If Shalit is indeed returned alive and well, it will of course be a matter for rejoicing that he is unharmed after his appalling five-year ordeal and that the terrible suffering of his family is now at an end. But the price that Israel has reportedly agreed to pay for his release is itself a terrible one which will have untold consequences. It will apparently release 1000 Palestinian prisoners, including 400 serving long sentences for some of the worst terrorist atrocities in the country’s history.

For the IDF it is a moral imperative to bring home its fallen or captured soldiers. But the terrible thing is that by releasing 1000 terrorists back to Gaza and the West Bank, it makes it more likely that not just the Hamas but Hezbollah in Lebanon too will redouble their efforts to kidnap yet more Israeli soldiers in order to further this devilish barter.

So while this deal — brokered by Egypt and Germany — redeems one Israeli soldier, it puts more Israeli soldiers at risk. Moreover, it strengthens Hamas in Gaza — they are already boasting that this is a great victory — makes it more likely that more Israelis will be murdered by terrorism in Israel, and demoralises those IDF soldiers who brought these 1000 terrorists to justice in the first place.

And Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu knows all this. As the Jerusalem Post notes, in a book published in 1995 Netanyahu wrote that prisoner exchanges were

‘“a mistake that Israel made over and over again” and that refusing to release terrorists from prison was “among the most important policies that must be adopted in the face of terrorism. The release of convicted terrorists before they have served their full sentences seems like an easy and tempting way of defusing blackmailed situations in which innocent people may lose their lives, but its utility is momentary at best,” Netanyahu wrote. “Prisoner releases only embolden terrorists by giving them the feeling that even if they are caught, their punishment will be brief. Worse, by leading terrorists to think such demands are likely to be met, they encourage precisely the terrorist blackmail they are supposed to defuse.”

Worse still, it seems that Israel has now gone back on its previous opposition to such a deal, apparently because it fears that with Egypt about to turn hostile any chance of freeing Shalit would disappear out of the window. The Jerusalem Post reports:

‘The framework for this deal has been on the table for years, but was rejected as Israel demanded that the terrorists with blood on their hands be deported to Gaza or abroad, and Hamas demanded that all the names they submitted be on the list. In the final analysis, both sides showed flexibility, with Israel agreeing to let hundreds, but not all, of the released terrorist remain in the West Bank, and Hamas dropped some of the names on its list.’

So now Israel will have hundreds of terrorists literally just down the road, presumably poised to strike yet again and murder more Israel innocents. Either way, this was a terrible decision to have to take. On the other hand, once Shalit comes home the Hamas in Gaza will have lost their most valuable human shield of all. For five years, they have used their young Israeli captive — whose fate has been the focus of such public agony within Israel — to tie the Israelis’ military hands. Now, it would seem, all such bets will be off.

— Hat tip: JP

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Saudi-Backed Institute for “Tolerance” And Irony Appreciation Inaugurated in Vienna

The situation in Saudi Arabia itself proves that this outfit, the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (you can’t make this stuff up), is nothing but an outpost for dawah, or Islamic proselytizing, and deception. If it is good for anything, it sets up a glaring study in contrasts between Sharia as advertised, in this “interfaith” scam in Vienna, and Sharia as observed, in Saudi Arabia.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Indonesia: About ‘1.8 Million People’ Have Terror Links

Jakarta, 12 Oct. (AKI) — About 1.8 million of Indonesia’s 246 million people have potential links to terrorism, according to the country’s anti-terror chief.

“The number is this. More or less 1.8 million people take part in terrorist networks,” said Ansyaad Mbai., who heads Indonesia’s National Anti-Terrorism Agency, or BNPT, speaking during a panel discussion in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Indonesia, world’s most populous Muslim country, is combating Al-Qaeda linked terrorists whose most notorious attack was in Bali in 2002 when 200 people died in an attack by the Jemaah Islamiyah terror group. The country is also fighting a separatist movement in the Aceh region of northern Sumatra.

In the last few years Indonesia has formed links with moderate religious groups that are working to counter radical religious ideology, the Jakarta Post quoted Mbai as saying.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Indonesia: Bogor Yasmin Church Controversy: Authorities “Manipulating” Videos to Slander Christians

The mayor calls in security forces to stop prayers. The videotapes of the incident are manipulated in order to blame Christians for the violence. Nahdlatul Ulama comes out on the Christian side. The Wahid Institute calls on the president to remove local leaders and uphold religious freedom.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) — The mayor of Bogor, a town in West Java, has banned Christian worshippers from using the road near the Yasmin Church for prayer. The construction of the church is at the centre of a fierce dispute between local Christians and municipal authorities. When police moved in to disperse the crowd, Christians reacted by protesting. A clash ensued between the two sides. The Wahid Institute, which is named after former Indonesian President Gus Dur Wahid and is dedicated to interfaith dialogue, has accused Bogor leaders of manipulating news reports and video images of the incident in order to push Muslims to punish Christians.

For months, the Yasmin Church has been the object of a clear violation of the law and of religious freedom by the local mayor who, disregarding the constitution and a ruling by the Supreme Court in favour of Christians, has prevented them from using their unfinished place of worship.

Last Sunday, he sent security forces against the faithful who had gathered for Sunday services on the church site. A row followed between parishioners and police agents, which the mayor used as a pretext to ban Christians from praying on the road near the Christian place of worship.

Rumadi, an activist with the Wahid Institute in Jakarta, points the finger at President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for a lack of “political will” to end the hostility against Bogor Christians, and this despite the powers at his disposal. The president can in fact suspend Mayor Diani Budiarto for failing to uphold a decision by the Supreme Court, which ruled that the application to build the church was done in accordance with the law and had all the right construction permits.

Contacted by AsiaNews about last Sunday’s disturbance, Bona Sigalingging, a spokesperson for the Yasmin Church, said that the faithful had been together for ten minutes to pray when security forces moved in to disperse them by force. The Sunday before, 2 October, police seized the church’s ceremonial bread and wine.

Indonesia’s most important and moderate Muslim organisation, Nahdlatul Ulama, supports the Christian community’s right to freedom of religion. Its leaders have written to President Yudhoyono asking for his direct intervention to settle the issue and protect the rights of Christians.

However, extremist Muslims have come out in support of Bogor’s mayor and oppose the construction of the church.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Malaysia: Selangor Dances the Limbo for JAIS

The Sultan’s decree does not resolve important issues raised by the farcical raid on DUMC and has left many with bottled up feelings of resentment and discontent

The principal parties involved in the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (JAIS) raid on a Methodist church function last August have officially endorsed the sultan’s solution, and the matter is deemed closed. The Sultan of Selangor’s brief statement said that “….there had been attempts to subvert the faith and belief of Muslims” during the dinner at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) organised by the NGO Harapan Komuniti during Ramadan. Despite this, many issues remain unresolved and the rakyat is more perplexed than ever because his statement raises more questions than answers. How much involvement has Umno in the affairs of an opposition led state, do state religious authorities think that they are above the law and had abuses of power by JAIS been swept under the carpet?

The statement did not allude to any evidence uncovered in these “attempts” at proselytisation, neither did it make reference to the Christians. However, it mentioned that no further legal action could be taken because of insufficient evidence and that JAIS had acted correctly in conducting the search. Sultan Sharafuddin said: “Therefore, after carefully deliberating the report by JAIS and after obtaining advice from religious authorities and legal experts, we are in agreement that there would be no prosecution against any party. We are satisfied that the actions of JAIS were correct and did not breach any law enforceable in Selangor. We command that (Islamic officials) provide counseling to Muslims who were involved in the said dinner, to restore their belief and faith in the religion of Islam.”

Officials of DUMC have, from the outset, vehemently denied the allegations that Muslims had been proselytised at what they claim was a multiethnic gathering to raise funds for HIV/AIDS. They have however, criticised the actions of JAIS enforcement officials for their role and conduct in the unauthorised raid. Perhaps, the most disquieting statement was when the sultan said that he was “gravely concerned and extremely offended by the attempts of certain parties to weaken the faith and belief of Muslims.”

Malaysians have remarked that they are just as offended because nothing has been done to check high-handed officialdom and the mistrust which the officials have in the rakyat.

Firstly, they are offended that Malays are perceived to be of weak faith and an even weaker constitution, that their presence in a largely Christian flock, when hymns are sung or prayers said, could make them denounce their faith. Secondly, the notion that any multiethnic event, be it a funeral, Christmas party, celebration of a festival or something as innocuous as a dinner, is seen as an attempt to convert the Muslim brethren.

As defender of the faith, the sultan had also directed his subjects to stop questioning the actions of JAIS and that activities which spread other religions to Muslims should cease.

He said: “The religion of Islam as practised in Selangor is one of tolerance. Muslims are always encouraged to respect the believers of other religions. However, persons or parties cannot take the opportunity to spread other religions to Muslims.”

What if a similar raid was on a mosque?

But disgruntled non-Muslims have remarked: “It is all right for you Muslims. But who speaks for us, when members of our community undergo forced conversions? Families are torn apart, children are separated from their mothers, bodies are snatched from graves, marriages cannot be registered. Where is the freedom to practise our religion as provided in the constitution?”

A Malay resident of Petaling Jaya living beside a Church said: “No one questions JAIS for wanting to do its job. The issue is how JAIS conducted itself when it carried out the raid.

“Did JAIS have any respect of the sanctity of a place of worship? Did it even follow procedures when conducting the raid? Are there any standard procedures in the first instance?

“If a similar raid were to be conducted on a mosque, wouldn’t there be a Muslim backlash? Without search warrants or strict adherence to guidelines to raid, do you think anyone will have any respect for authority if they simply bulldoze their way in? Where is the respect for another person’s religion?” Where is our tolerance?”

Mindful of the many illegal and unlawful precedents of the raid, the Menteri Besar of Selangor, Khalid Ibrahim has said that the Selangor government would form a special committee to scrutinise the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of JAIS with regard to attempts to proselytise Muslims. Khalid said that the committee would include religious leaders, legal experts and senior government officers, and in an attempt to draw a line over the incident and prevent royal dissent, he acquiesced and said: “The Selangor government will not look back on this issue. Rather, we will enhance awareness on the need to strengthen JAIS’ enforcement and gathering of evidence.”

Khalid’s delicate role as diplomat-cum-politician is misconstrued as a feeble attempt to placate certain quarters, not least to salvage JAIS’ reputation. Nonetheless, the Christians are left bristling with discontent. Questions have been raised as to why a six-minute video clip of the raid surfaced on pro-Umno blogs a fortnight later. There were security concerns when photographs and personal details of the Muslim dinner guests were leaked. How did the bloggers obtain supposedly confidential JAIS evidence?

Lawyers representing Harapan Komuniti said that they had not been given a final report nor any details about the JAIS raid. They also said that investigations into the death threat received by their clients, had not achieved any progress. Meanwhile, the Selangor executive councillor in charge of Islamic affairs, Hasan Ali, was satisfied with the sultan’s decree and said that he was grateful that the sultan “wanted stern action to prevent proselytising”…. “because of the attempts to influence people’s faith”. If there was insufficient evidence, why should the Muslims be counselled? And if there were indeed attempts to proselytise, shouldn’t the offenders be punished? What about the lawfulness of the raid itself? This decree does not resolve any of the important issues raised by this farce and has left many with bottled up feelings of resentment and discontent.

— Hat tip: JP

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Malaysia: Grateful for Timely Royal Intervention

THE flap over the attendance of some Muslims at a dinner in the Damansara Utama Methodist Church complex that resulted in the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) being called to the scene by some other Muslims is thankfully over.

The Sultan of Selangor had to step in and in doing so, prevented the incident from being exploited by politicians of all stripes that would have served nothing but ill for the country and society at large. The royal statement over the matter was a masterful compromise that draws a line under any further debate over the very subjective rights and wrongs of all parties involved in this episode. The royal statement was something that no political or religious figure, no matter how prestigious or eminent, could have pulled off without igniting a further round of inflammatory language or worse.

All that remains is for all concerned to draw useful lessons from the episode and strive to avoid repeating it. This bears repeating because one can never be sure it would have sunk in otherwise. There is, to be sure, enough blame to go round in every which direction one chooses to view the whole incident. The greatest blame is a collective one; that no matter what our leaders and ordinary citizens may say or think, the level of religious tolerance — let alone acceptance — in the country leaves much to be desired still.

As well, there is something to be said for our Muslim population generally to behave with greater confidence and self-assurance as befits its status as a majority in a country where Islam enjoys the august position as official religion and the protection of state sovereigns or the national sovereign, as the case may be. We should be slow to react to any report of attempts by non-Muslims to proselytise among Muslims, illegal as any such case would be if proven. Responsible Muslims must be careful lest any rush to judgment alarms the larger population, Muslim and non-Muslim alike. We only need to look at similar incidents occurring in poorer and less developed Muslim countries that lead to bloodshed and riots to realise how incendiary the whole thing can be.

That realisation needs to dawn equally on non-Muslims, of course. Special care needs to be taken that leaves as little room for doubt as possible that ecumenical events are indeed as they are proclaimed to be, particularly where Muslims are invited. That said, let us not beat about the bush that Christian charity does not have a well-documented history of proselytising, inherent as it is to this missionary faith. Christian missionaries first landed in this country with undoubtedly the noblest of intentions to spread their faith by ministering to the poor, sick and unschooled through charity homes, hospitals and schools.

These early missionaries went about their good work with little to no hint of coercing those they serve into converting. Those who did convert did so mostly out of admiration for the Jesus-like examples of selflessness and humble devotion of those missionaries. There is, today, in our midst a certain new class of Christian missionaries whom, to put it mildly, this writer has concerns about. They seem to cater to a class of flashy and rich Christians, the very antithesis of a poor and humble Jesus and a seeming throwback to the bad old days of the secularly powerful Roman Catholic church before the Protestant reformation.

It will not be far-fetched to think that at least some of the new Christian missionaries and independent churches flourishing in the country today will raise some eyebrows with their religious zealotry. Perhaps the greatest perception gap between Muslim and non-Muslim Malaysians exists in a nebulous understanding of the concept of apostasy. Non-Muslims, including Christians, frequently parry the assertion that there should be absolutely no compulsion on matters as private as religious affiliation.

This writer claims no special knowledge of faiths other than Christianity and will say Christians contradict themselves when they pronounce on Muslim apostasy. Christians may claim to have renounced their faiths but in the eyes of their respective churches, they would remain Christians till death, once baptised. Religious sensitivities are a dangerously slippery slope everywhere and Malaysians of all faiths need to be much more sensitised to the reality that mutual understanding, respect, tolerance and acceptance is the only way forward if we value the peace we enjoy.

— Hat tip: JP

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Bashir Says Sudan Will Adopt Islamic Constitution

KHARTOUM (Reuters) — Sudan will go ahead with plans to adopt an entirely Islamic constitution and strengthen Islamic law, President Omar Hassan al-Bashir said on Wednesday, three months after its former civil war enemy South Sudan became independent. Juba seceded on July 9 after a referendum agreed under a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of civil war between the mainly Muslim north and the South where most follow Christian and traditional beliefs. Bashir had said in December that Sudan would adopt an Islamic constitution if Juba seceded but many southerners had hoped he would not deliver on this.

His comments will add to uncertainty for more than a million southerners who still live in the north and are now treated legally as foreigners. Khartoum has given them until spring to leave or obtain the legal right to stay, a complicated process. “Ninety eight percent of the people are Muslims and the new constitution will reflect this. The official religion will be Islam and Islamic law the main source (of the constitution),” Bashir told students in Khartoum in a speech. “We call it a Muslim state,” said Bashir, wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes in Dafur. The 2005 peace deal set up an interim constitution which limited Islamic law to the north and recognised “the cultural and social diversity of the Sudanese people”. Many southerners say they feel no longer welcome in the north since the split. They have lost government jobs and now need work and residency permits to stay in the north.

— Hat tip: JP

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Nigeria: Islam Not Related to Violence — Al-Mu’minaat

AL-Mu’minaat,an organisation of Muslim women, has dissociated Islam from chaos, saying that peace remains a fundamental principle in the religion.

The Oyo State chapter of the body disclosed this during a courtesy visit by its executive members to the African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, publishers of Tribune titles, in Ibadan, Oyo State. In an address read by its Public Relations Officer, Muhibbah Bakre, the body advised Nigerians to shun all acts of violence because no meaningful development would occur in a charged atmosphere. The organisation described Muslims as peace loving and called on the media to desist from painting the religion of Islam and its adherents in negative pictures. Al-Mu’minaat urged the Boko Haram and other violent organisations to embrace peace as a tool for conflict settlement. The Property Manager, ANN Plc, Alhaji Oluwole Akinloye, who led the management team of ANN Plc, admonished mothers to give sound academic and moral trainings to their wards for them to become useful individuals in future. He commended the effort of the Muslim women at enlightening the populace on the need to live righteously.

— Hat tip: JP

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Officials in Sudan Threaten to Raze Three Church Buildings

Christian leaders say authorities are gathering information on churches, activities.

KHARTOUM, Sudan, October 12 (CDN) — Local authorities have threatened to demolish three church buildings in Omdurman as part of a long-standing bid to rid Sudan of Christianity, Christian sources told Compass. Officials from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Public Utilities-Khartoum State appeared at the three church sites in Omdurman, on the Nile River opposite Khartoum, the afternoon of Sept. 11, threatening to demolish the structures if the churches continued to conduct worship services, church leaders said.

Church leaders from the three churches in the Madinat al Fath area of Omdurman — the Sudanese Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church of Sudan and the Roman Catholic Church — said they were surprised to see government officials come to their church premises and accuse them of operating churches on government land without permission. The church leaders told Compass the buildings were not located on government land and required no permission. They said that, starting at 2 p.m. the officials asked leaders of the Sudanese Church of Christ who had given them permission to build on government land, and then proceeded to the other two churches. The officials marked the three church buildings for demolition with red crosses, saying, “We are going to demolish these churches,” the church leaders said.

Jaafer al Sudani, manager of Church Affairs in the Ministry of Guidance and Religious Endowment, told Compass that officials there had no knowledge of church buildings to be demolished. The state planning officials insist that the churches are operating on government land. Citing a growing tide of hostility toward Christians, members of the threatened churches said they were concerned about their future. “These are clearly evil plans directed against churches and Christians in this country,” said Kornules Yousif, an area Christian leader. “This is serious,” said another church member who asked to remain unnamed. “We do not want them to demolish our churches.” Local Muslims complain of the Christian presence in the area, Yousif said. “Muslims say churches are not supposed to be given permission to operate because the number of Muslims is greater than that of Christians,” he said.

Area Christians told Compass they take seriously such statements by Muslims as they reveal hostile motives by both the Islamic government and Muslim communities. “These people can do everything possible to clear this country of Christianity,” said a member of one of the threatened churches. At the same time, area Christians said they believe the government is quietly carrying out surveys on Christians and church programs as part of a broader effort to make Islam the official state religion; officials from the Ministry of Guidance and Religious Endowment have called church leaders, asking them to reveal information about their church members and activities of the Churches, they said. “This is purely for intelligence purposes, so that they can put more restrictions on churches and Christians,” said the Rev. Yousif El-Denger Kodi, general secretary of the Sudanese Lutheran Church. “We as church leaders are aware of their plans, but we pray for God to rescue us from their evil plans.”

Islam is favored in law and policy in Sudan, according to the U.S. Department of State’s 2010 International Religious Freedom Report. While sharia (Islamic law) is only “a source of legislation” according to the Interim National Constitution, there is a movement afoot to make Islam the official state religion following the secession of largely non-Muslim southern Sudan on July 9. “Muslims are not happy to see churches in their areas, because they believe in Islam and fear the influence of the church, and that is why they hate to see churches,” a church leader who requested anonymity told Compass.

— Hat tip: JP

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Sudan to Become Africa’s First Theocracy

Sudan will implement an Islamic constitution and Sharia law, creating Africa’s first fully theocratic state. This is a sensible domestic move, as far as Khartoum is concerned. It also signals the beginning of the end of Africa’s influence in Sudan, and opens the door to Iran or Saudi Arabia to establish a solid foothold in Africa. By SIMON ALLISON.

In a not-unexpected announcement, Sudan’s beleaguered President Omar Al Bashir said his country would become Africa’s first proper theocracy. “Ninety-eight percent of the people are Muslims and the new constitution will reflect this. The official religion will be Islam and Islamic law the main source (of the constitution). We call it a Muslim state,” Bashir told Khartoum students in a speech.

Domestically, the move makes pragmatic sense. Without the south, Sudan doesn’t have to pretend to be tolerant and inclusive; it can just do what it wants. And it needs to do something. The government is perhaps the weakest it has ever been, with the secession of the south, a failing economy and the spectre of the international arrest warrant hanging over the president’s head all making the government weaker. Mass protests peaked this week when hundreds of people demonstrated against rising food prices — relatively small numbers, but still an unprecedented challenge to the government’s authority.

By turning Sudan into an Islamic theocracy, Khartoum will be hoping to consolidate support among the country’s majority Muslim population. And it’s also likely to persuade the mostly Christian southerners who remain in the north — a potential source of instability as far as the government is concerned — to get out, quickly. It’s estimated that over a million southerners have been stranded in the north after Sudan’s official split, unwelcome in the north but having no opportunities in the south either. Their Sudanese citizenship has been revoked, and if they want to stay, they must go through a long and complicated bureaucratic process. All this to remain in a country where their religion will be illegal?

The process of establishing the pre-eminence of Islam has already begun. Three churches in Omdurman, Khartoum’s sister city, were notified that their buildings were on government land (not true) and would be demolished shortly. In unwitting irony, the church buildings were marked with red crosses, to show the bulldozers where to start. Religion in the old Sudan was a fraught subject. The rebellious south was mainly Christian or animist, while the north was strongly Muslim. Ever since independence, Sudan was ruled by a Muslim government and this was a large part of the problem for the south’s rebels. The new South Sudan, while officially tolerant of all religions, is overwhelmingly Christian. The north, in contrast, is overwhelmingly Muslim (although the 98% figure claimed by President Bashir is a definite exaggeration).

The move to entrench Islam as the source of law and authority for the northern Sudanese state will also have interesting geopolitical considerations. Sudan is, of course, an international pariah nation with very few friends. But among its allies, it counts two very different and rival Islamic theocracies: Saudi Arabia and Iran. Saudi Arabia and Sudan recently announced an ambitious, long-term project to mine the bottom of the Red Sea which lies between them for a variety of precious metals including gold, silver and copper. The project is expected to cost billions to implement, most of which will come from Saudi, so the deal is a strong show of support for the regime in Khartoum. And as most of Sudan’s Muslims are Sunni, it would make sense that an Islamic Sudan is modelled on Saudi Arabia, which is also almost exclusively Sunni; this would give Sudan a rich and powerful friend, and give Saudi Arabia a sphere of influence in Africa.

But there are also Shia Muslims in Sudan, most of whom are based in Khartoum, the centre of power. And it’s also true that the Sunni-Shia divide in Sudan has never been a major political issue, thanks perhaps to the influence of Hassan Al-Turabi, which looms large over Sudanese politics. For years, Turabi was Bashir’s chief ideologue, before Bashir got nervous about his popularity and put him under house arrest. But Turabi was a vocal proponent of a kind of pan-Islamic ideology which ignored the differences between sects in favour of presenting a united front. He was even rumoured to have accepted money at one time from Iran, a Shia theocracy, which was trying to establish a Shia foothold in Africa.

Iran is still looking for an African foothold. Three short weeks ago Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was in Khartoum, pledging support and cooperation and bonding with Bashir in their shared persecution complexes. The narrative which emerged from the leaders’ statements was very much one of Sudan and Iran, together against the world; allies against what Ahmadinejad termed the “powers of arrogance”. Is Sudan’s sudden move toward entrenching Islam further into the DNA of the state a sign of a growing closeness with Iran?

Perhaps. For now, the full geopolitical implications of Khartoum’s decision remain obscure. But what is clear is that this represents a comprehensive rejection of Africa in favour of the Middle East. It’s not difficult to see why Khartoum might feel alienated by Africa. Sub-Saharan African countries have been falling over themselves to celebrate the birth of South Sudan, and the African Union has been similarly effusive. Sudan’s also been frustrated in its attempts to rejoin the Intergovernmental Authority for Development, the Horn of Africa regional body, which is stalling until South Sudan submits an official application for membership. So it makes sense that Khartoum would look east for friendship rather than south, and in so doing emphasise the main thing it has in common with its Middle Eastern allies: Islam. DM

— Hat tip: JP

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Europeans Up Sticks

Adevarul, Bucharest

The crisis is forcing more and more Europeans to emigrate. For young people in Mediterranean countries, as well as for those in Eastern Europe, it’s the north of the continent where salvation lies

Mariana Bechir

Within a century, European countries have gone from being countries of emigration to countries of immigration, and so have been transformed into host countries. The magnet has been industrial development, which has drawn in workers from poorer countries.

Many migrants ended up going back to where they came from, but in the meanwhile, they were an injection of external labour that covered the shortfall of workers in Europe. The last countries to become hosts were those in southern Europe, the destination of choice notably for Romanians, who now find themselves competing in the labour market with the indigenous unemployed. Faced with this situation, and with new restrictions on employment of foreigners, immigrants from eastern Europe and natives of southern Europe are tending to look for work in northern Europe.

Europe has gone through massive migration flows in the past. Between 1950 and 1970, about ten million Italians, Greeks, Spaniards and Portuguese took the open road to the more developed European countries. After 1973, as populations in the Mediterranean area began to decline, the states affected opened their doors to foreign workers.

The inflection point — when immigration overtook emigration — was reached in the 1980s. The flows came from north Africa, then central and eastern Europe, and the process accelerated after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Today Germany, the UK and the Nordic countries could be facing an unprecedented surge of in-migration, because in addition to people with a strong tradition of leaving home (Spain, Italy, Ireland and even Greece), there is now the enormous pressure from the states in eastern Europe, with Romanians in the lead. As for Romania, it will in its turn become a destination country, but probably for workers coming from Asia, the Middle East or Africa.

Crisis more easily bearable abroad

The latest statistics from the UK also point up an unusual dynamic in the relationship with Spain. The number of Spaniards registered with the British social security system rose by 85 percent in the last fiscal year (April 2010-April 2011) over the previous year. For the first time, Spain is among the top five countries of origin of immigrants to the UK — after Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Lithuania and Ireland.

According to the Spanish branch of the temp agency Adecco, about 110,000 people left Spain between 2008 and 2010, as the unemployment rate in Spain climbed past 21 percent; today, more than 4.2 million people in Spain are unemployed. A significant increase was also recorded among Italians: the number of resumes submitted to Eurostat rose from 60,000 in March 2010 to nearly 90,000 by September 2011.

The migration of the “one-way-ticket” kind, which saw Italians and Irish board a ship bound for the United States and stay there until they died, has disappeared. Today the journey has become merely a trip from one country to another, chasing openings in the labour market. Migrants move tacitly about that market based on the acceptability and drudgery of the work.

And here lies a major difference between the Spanish emigrants and the Romanians. The latter are called “strawberry pickers” because they work mostly in agriculture in the host countries and take up the least skilled jobs. As for the Spaniards, says Professor Miguel Pajares, professor at the University of Barcelona, ??”they go to the countries where they can find specialised work. The difference between Romanians and Spanish is not so much skill as it is the acceptability” of different jobs.

In Ireland, the number of those leaving the country is higher than the number of those arriving at the time when the country was regarded as the “Celtic Tiger”. In the last fiscal year, April 2010 — April 2011, over 40,000 Irish left the island, while 36,000 immigrants landed. “The crisis is more easily bearable abroad,” explains Romanian Professor Dumitru Sandu, a specialist in migration.

The current migration trend will continue because of the crisis and the recession that have hit Europe, especially now that the countries that joined the EU in 2004 have exceeded the transition period (a maximum of seven years) that a Member State may impose to protect its labour market. That deadline was May 1 this year for Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia and Slovakia…

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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	Financial Crisis
»	“No Desire to Die Chinese”
»	China: Beijing Buys Into “Its” Banks to Prop Them Up
»	EU’s Barroso Thanks Slovakia for Eurozone Bailout Approval
»	German Studies Say Spain Will be Back in Recession in 2012
»	Indignados: Call for Global Mobilisation 15/10 From Madrid
»	Italy: Ministries That Fail to Meet Targets Will Have Budgets Cut
»	Portugal: Cavaco Silva Takes a Stand Against “Merkozy”
»	Temporary Relief: Slovakia Approves Euro Bailout Expansion
	USA
»	Mitt’s Muslim Problem
»	Mosque Controversies Prompt Zoning Changes in DuPage
»	Multiculturalism Continues to Grow in Central Oklahoma
»	North County to Get a Taste of Islam
»	Radical Islam: A Problem World Leaders Must Confront
»	Sharia Law Suitable for the United States?
»	‘Wham! Bam! Islam!’ Review: Disappointing
	Canada
»	Canadian University Appoints Terror-Supporter to Head Department
	Europe and the EU
»	British Government Seeks Royal Succession Reform
»	Netherlands: Ceremonial Monarchy Growing in Popularity
»	Netherlands: Queen Should Pay Tax: Say MPs
»	Norway Killer Says 80 Militant Cells in Europe: Police
»	Rich Tradition of Sagas Form Heart of Modern Iceland
»	Train Track Attacks: Debate Over ‘Leftist Terrorism’ Erupts in Germany
»	UK: Harry Potter’s “Vincent Crabbe” Charged as London Rioter
»	UK: Harris Tweed: The Champagne of Fabrics Recovers Its Fizz
»	Unparalleled Preservation: Near-Perfect Young Dinosaur Fossil Found in Bavaria
	Balkans
»	European Union: An Enlargement of Illusions
	North Africa
»	Egypt: A Firsthand Account: Marching From Shubra to Deaths at Maspero
»	Egypt: The Cairo Pogrom
»	Egyptian Priest Says Coptic Church Was Not Attacked, Admits to Building Violations
»	Islam’s War on the Cross: Egypt’s Move to Democracy Under Threat After Latest Attack on Coptic Community
»	Libya: Islamic Hard-Liners Attack Rival Shrines in Libya
	Israel and the Palestinians
»	50 Thousand Settlers Will Desecrate the Ibarahimi Mosque
»	Caroline Glick: A Pact Signed in Jewish Blood
»	In Jordan, Escalation in Anti-Israel Rhetoric, Threats
»	Tunnels Boost Gaza Mosque Construction
	Middle East
»	Cyprus: Turkish Ship to Go on Researches in Mediterranean
»	Iran Proposes Tripartite Economic Cooperation Involving Egypt, Iran and Turkey
»	Islam is Compatible With Democracy, Says Journalist
»	Nobel Peace Panel Stands Behind Muslim Brotherhood Winner
»	Oman: First Opera House in Gulf Region Opens
»	Report: Iran Attempt to Launch Monkey Into Space Fails
»	Tourism: Turkey Ready to Help Greece, Minister Says
»	UAE: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center Launches Series of Workshops for Licensed Tourist Guides About Visiting Regulations
	Russia
»	‘Cheese’ Attack on Lenin Statue Foiled
»	For Moscow Patriarch, Arab Uprisings Are Ambiguous, Europe Not to be Perceived as Aggressor
	South Asia
»	Indonesia: HSBC Offers Haj Pilgrimage Banking Services
»	Indonesia: MUI Tells Jakarta to Sell Brewery Shares
»	Malaysia: German Pre-Schoolers Visit Mosque
	Australia — Pacific
»	Darebin Council to Tackle Ramadan Traffic Issues Using Anti-Terror Funds
	Sub-Saharan Africa
»	Oldest Artist’s Workshop in the World Discovered
»	Oldest Human Paint-Making Studio Discovered in Cave
»	Spanish Aid Workers Kidnapped on Kenya-Somali Border
	Immigration
»	Amnesty Slams Dutch Asylum System
»	Shaping Perceptions and Attitudes to Realise the Diversity Advantage (SPARDA)
	Culture Wars
»	Guest Post: My hope for #occupy wall wtreet
	General
»	Children Like Teamwork More Than Chimps Do
»	Missions Proposed to Explore Mysterious Tilted Planet Uranus
»	Perfect Fossil Could be Most Complete Dinosaur Ever
»	UN Warns Hunger is Rising Amid Major Price Swings

“No Desire to Die Chinese”

La Stampa, Turin

Italian writer Antonio Scurati believes that the boom in Chinese investment in Europe and the influence of Chinese capitalism on the European economy are a threat to the freedom and sovereignty of Europeans and for their social and cultural model.

I don’t know what you think, but, as far as I’m concerned, I have no desire to die Chinese. Yet, the way things are going, it is highly probable that I will.

In mid-September, just at the time when Southern Europe was rushing towards disaster, during the Annual Congress of the World Economic Forum, which, since 2007 is held (is this a coincidence?) in China, and which is, this year, titled “New Champions 2011,” prime minister Wen Jiabao announced that his country would invest more and more in the “old” continent.

Are the Chinese going to save us or invade us?

With a terrifying sense of timing, some insistent voices were heard in the preceding days concerning Chinese intentions in making massive investments in Italian Treasury Bonds, as corroborated by the trip to Rome by the president of the China Investment Corp, one of the world’s wealthiest investment funds. He came to discuss the purchase of a consistent packet of shares in businesses strategic to our national economy. Since then, not a day has passed without us asking ourselves if the Chinese are coming to save us or to invade us.

In my own case, the question is all the more worrisome, because, as chance would have it, my most recent novel La seconda mezzanotte [Not translated into English] came out totally by chance on September 14, the very day press agencies were heralding the words of Wen Jiabao.

In the book, I imagined that in 2092, Italy would become a satellite state of China after having ceded its entire external debt and that Venice, following a terrible flood, was bought by a Beijing-based transnational company. Recast with the statute of Politically Autonomous Zone, its new destiny would be to become a theme park dedicated to luxury and the rampant vices of nouveaux riches from the East.

Clash of civilisations between Europe and China

Literary catastrophes aside, it seems clear that the arrival of Chinese political and financial sovereignty on our old continent would precipitate the decline of European civilisation as we have known, dreamed and loved it (even if only in our idyllic visions). I fear that this is a serious threat for the cultural foundations of modern Western European civilisation including: the people’s political sovereignty; freedom of thought and of expression; labour and citizens’ rights; personal autonomy; solidarity towards others in the society; personal worth; food safety and the respect for the sanctity of life.

Yes, I fear all this not only because I can still see in my mind’s eye the young man who, in Tiananmen Square, confronted a tank armed only with two grocery-filled bags (don’t forget the man was also Chinese), or because I foresee a conflict of civilisations between Europe and China, but because I am frightened by the drift of a financial capitalism in which Chinese sovereign funds today represent the spearhead and by the use made of capitalism which was conceived to finance labour and business but which has succeeded in burying both.

If in the near future politics isn’t capable of retracing its steps on the path that led from sovereignty to obscenity, there is in fact a risk that, in a not-so-distant future, a gigantic conflict will erupt between the speculative interests of stateless financial entities — whether they be Chinese, US or home-grown is of no import — and the needs, legitimate aspirations and hopes of each of us…

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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China: Beijing Buys Into “Its” Banks to Prop Them Up

A sovereign fund buys shares worth 200 million yuan in China’s biggest banks in order to help the banking system stave off the crisis and the loss of confidence. However, the sector’s problems are structural. One of its elements is the apprehended real estate bubble. Meanwhile, hundreds of Chinese companies are going bust and not paying their workers’ salaries.

Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) — Beijing is putting 200 million yuan in the nation’s biggest banks. Shares responded positively to the news but expert warn that any benefit might prove short term, that structural changes are in act needed, especially a solution to the country’s real estate bubble and easy financing.

Huijin, part of the mainland’s sovereign wealth fund, bought 197 million yuan (US$ 31 million) worth of shares in the mainland’s big four lenders, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the Bank of China, the China Construction Bank and the Agricultural Bank of China.

Bank shares suffered most from the overall decline of the Shanghai Composite Index, which is down 16.4 per cent so far this year, after a 14.3 per cent decline in 2010.

Both expert and layman opinion believe that these financial institutions are overexposed with too many bad loans that will be hard to get back because they were given without adequate guarantees or offered to less than profitable businesses.

Still on the markets, the initial reaction to the government’s announcement was positive. China Construction Bank was up 3.9 per cent at the end of the morning session Tuesday, whilst the Industrial and Commercial Bank was 1.5 per cent higher. The Bank of China rose 2.4 per cent and Agricultural Bank added 2.0 per cent.

In Hong Kong, where the four Chinese banks are also listed, the gains were stronger. The Agricultural Bank surged 14.7 per cent by midday, while the Bank of China jumped 8.9 per cent.

However, experts are convinced that the government’s action will have only short-term effects, more symbolic than substantive because the amount of capital would have to be more significant to have a real impact. “Huijin isn’t expected to spend a big sum on the banking stocks in future because the [banks’] fundamentals will remain unchanged or [get] even worse.”

In 2008, Huijin invested 2.1 billion yuan to buy banking shares as a way to bolster the then-troubled market. But since the banks are state-owned, in time of crisis it is probable that the government will protect the interests of investors at the expense of the banks.

This has negatively affected the value of bank shares, especially in light of the overall crisis of the credit sector, with Western governments also forced to rescue their own financial institutions.

In order to favour economic growth, China has invested heavily in new infrastructures that have not generated expected spinoffs. In the recent past, many loans were made to lending companies who then loaned the capital for higher interest rates. Thus, any problems by end users will have repercussions on the banks, especially at times of crisis.

Many loans were used to invest in real estate on the expectation of rapid capital gains given the quick rise of real estate prices. However, this has led to a bubble with most people priced out of the market. Should there be any steep drop in prices, investors and banks that provided them with the capital are expected to incur in heavy losses.

For this reason, everyone believes that structural changes are needed, including less lending and more money for the population’s real needs in lieu of a never-ending quest for economic growth, which favours speculative bubbles.

In 2011, Zhejiang 228 companies, mostly small and medium-sized enterprises, owed about 76 million yuan in wages to nearly 15,000 workers.

Since many companies kept afloat only thanks to bank loans, they shut down as soon as funding ended. For experts, this is indicative of the perverse side of easy lending, which creates the illusion of wealth.

Eighty-four such enterprises are based in Wenzhou where provincial authorities apparently had to ask the central bank for 60 billion yuan from to help thousands of families in dire needs.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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EU’s Barroso Thanks Slovakia for Eurozone Bailout Approval

European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso thanked Slovakia on Thursday for finally granting its approval to a crucial rescue fund for debt-laden members of the eurozone. “I want to use this opportunity to congratulate Slovakia,” Barroso said after Bratislava approved the revamp of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF). “This is an important decision for all of us in Europe,” he told journalists in Sofia, where he was taking part in a meeting of the centre-right European People’s Party. “I never had any doubt that Slovakia would support it because it is in the interest of that country, in the interest of all euro-area countries, and in the interest of the European Union as a whole.”

The vote in the Slovakian parliament, which removed the final hurdle to expanding the European bailout fund to 440 billion euros ($600 billion), came however at a price, toppling Prime Minister Iveta Radicova’s centre-right government and setting the stage for early elections. Barroso congratulated Radicova on Thursday “because she has fought for what she believed was important for her country and for Europe.” “This is the kind of leadership that we need in Europe,” he added. The EFSF rescue mechanism was set up in May 2010 after Greece was first bailed out to save it from default. Slovakia was then the only eurozone member to abstain from the first Greek rescue package.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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German Studies Say Spain Will be Back in Recession in 2012

According to data published today by Germany’s leading economic institutions, Spain’s GDP will grow by 0.7% this year, and by barely 0.1% in 2012. The report, considered to be a reference point in Germany, forecasts that the Spanish economy “will contract temporarily” over the next few months because of “increasing insecurity” due to the debt crisis and the high unemployment rate.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Indignados: Call for Global Mobilisation 15/10 From Madrid

(ANSAmed) — MADRID, OCTOBER 13 — ‘Sorry to bother you, this is a revolution’: this is the start of a video released on the internet, in which the Spanish May 15 movement, created five months ago in Puerta del Sol in Madrid and the forerunner of protests on global level, calls a global protest on Saturday October 15 of the ‘indignados’, in which more than 600 cities in 80 countries on the five continents have agreed to participate. But the number of participants who register on website ‘15 october. net’ continues to increase by the hour. In Spain around twenty associations will participate in the protest, including Democracia Real Ya (Dry) and ‘Tomalaplaza’(Takethesquare). Sixty cities will be involved, starting with the capital, where five marches from different quarters will come together on Saturday 6 pm at Plaza Cibeles. From there the crowd will head for Plaza del Sol, symbol of the protest. In Barcelona the march of demonstrators will arrive at 7 pm at Plaza de Catalunya. The protest’s slogan is ‘United for global change’, meant to sent a clear message to politicians and the financial elite and to “claim the right to work and to have a future.”

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Italy: Ministries That Fail to Meet Targets Will Have Budgets Cut

(AGI) Rome — The ministries that don’t meet the spending cut targets will see their budgets reduced under the stability bill. A plan will also be presented by November 30 2011 laying down measures for a public spending review and the beginning of a spending review cycle. It emerges from a report outlining the measures included in the draft bill that will be examined by the Cabinet tomorrow.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Portugal: Cavaco Silva Takes a Stand Against “Merkozy”

Público, 13 October 2011

Following the example of Rome, Lisbon has moved to challenge the “Merkozy” couple and its vague attempt to control the destiny of the EU: Aníbal “Cavaco Silva has clearly taken up arms against Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy,” headlines Público. According to the Lisbon daily, the Portuguese President, while on a visit to Italy, expressed his concern over an “unrecognised EU board of directors, which treats community institutions with disdain and limits their room for manoeuvre.” The head of state added that the emergence of this unmandated power was evidence of a “poorly chosen” and “dangerous” response to the European crisis.

According to Silva, the solution to the euro crisis should first and foremost be provided by “greater European economic governance,” and a reinforcement of community method that would highlight the “pivotal role” played by the European Commission. This was “the speech that Europe needed,” announces an exultant Público. The newspaper argues that Cavaco knows “that fragile peripheral states like Portugal have everything to gain from a reinforcement of community institutions, and everything to lose if they are sidelined. This is probably the reason for his warning against the risk that power will be end up in the hands of member states — especially, the more powerful ones.”

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Temporary Relief: Slovakia Approves Euro Bailout Expansion

The Slovak parliament voted on Thursday to approve the expansion of the euro bailout fund. An earlier rejection forced the current government to agree to new elections in exchange for opposition support for the measure, which will increase the rescue package’s lending ability and reach.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Mitt’s Muslim Problem

After a prominent Baptist minister proclaimed last week that Mormonism is a non-Christian “cult” that would ideally disqualify adherents from the White House, Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney enjoyed a full-throated defense from people all over the political spectrum who considered the pastor’s remarks an ugly example of religious bigotry. But Romney, a practicing Mormon, may soon find himself facing allegations of intolerance from another religious minority: American Muslims.

The Daily Beast has learned that the nation’s leading Muslim advocacy group sent a letter to the Romney campaign late Tuesday calling for the ouster of the candidate’s recently appointed foreign-policy adviser, Walid Phares. In the letter, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) refers to Phares as “an associate to war crimes” and a “conspiracy theorist,” citing ties to a violent anti-Muslim militia. Scholars and leaders throughout the Islamic community are adding pressure on Romney to drop the adviser immediately. (The Romney campaign and Phares did not immediately respond to requests for comment.)

The controversy comes at an awkward time for the campaign. Hours before CAIR’s letter was sent, Romney called on primary rival Perry to “repudiate” the anti-Mormon remarks made by the Rev. Robert Jeffress, who has endorsed the Texas governor, and touted the importance of tolerant discourse. “I just don’t believe that kind of divisiveness based on religion has a place in this country,” Romney said at a New Hampshire press conference.

Yet Phares is a divisive figure in the minds of some leading U.S. Muslims. To admirers, Phares is a well-regarded scholar who has testified before the Defense and State departments, and has worked as a terrorism expert for professional news outlets such as NBC and, most recently, Fox News. But to critics, Phares has long been a lightning rod for charges of Islamophobia and outright aggression toward Muslims. According to CAIR, Phares, who was born in Lebanon, worked as an official in the Lebanese Forces, a Christian militia that reportedly took part in “the 1982 massacre of civilian men, women, and children at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps.” In 1984, another Lebanese militia with which Phares was allegedly associated rounded up a group of men for questioning and then slaughtered them with guns and grenades, according to a news report. (There is no indication that Phares was directly involved in the violence; his roles in the organizations are reported to have been administrative.)

When he emigrated to the United States in the 1990s, Phares positioned himself as an expert on Islam and Middle East relations, allying himself with conservative think tanks and appearing frequently on television. Throughout his career as a pundit, he has warned that some Muslims are plotting a secret takeover of American institutions with the end goal of imposing Sharia.

This history of inflammatory rhetoric has drawn scorn from many corners of the American Muslim community, and CAIR’s concerns were echoed by a chorus of Islamic scholars reached by The Daily Beast. “[Phares] is hostile to Muslims and Romney has adopted an expert who is going to alienate him from a good section of the voting public,” said Ebrahim Moosa, a Duke professor of Islamic studies.

“Frankly, it is a pathetic reflection on Governor Romney to have surrounded himself with such a person for advice on the Middle East and Islam,” said Omid Safi, a professor of Islamic studies at the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill. “It would be akin to turning to [former KKK member] David Duke to get advice on race relations.” Correy Saylor, legislative director for CAIR, is willing to give Romney the benefit of the doubt and assume he was largely unaware of Phares’s past. Saylor credits Romney with showing an increased sensitivity to Islam over the years.

During his 2008 presidential candidacy, Romney reportedly told supporters in a private meeting that he would not appoint a Muslim to his cabinet. But he later walked back that comment, and in this election cycle he has occasionally found himself defending Islam against his opponents’ intolerance. Saylor cited an early primary debate during which Herman Cain hypothesized that appointing a Muslim to his cabinet could open the door to the implementation of Sharia in the U.S. Romney dismissed the paranoid theory, insisting that “people of all faiths are welcome in this country.” “He’s getting better,” Saylor concluded. “But this appointment is a step in the wrong direction.”

— Hat tip: JP

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Mosque Controversies Prompt Zoning Changes in DuPage

The DuPage County Board today voted unanimously to approve changes to its zoning laws that will restrict the operation of new houses of worship and other places of assembly in unincorporated residential neighborhoods. The measure, which the board approved in a 16-0 vote, came in the wake of five recent applications for new Islamic centers or mosques in residential areas in DuPage over the last two years. Three of those applications were approved by the board, one near Naperville was rejected and one, on Army Trail Road near West Chicago, has a zoning hearing scheduled for Dec. 8.

The new regulations would not affect any of those applications. However, among the restrictions is the prohibition of any new place of assembly in a single-family house without a variation granted by the County Board. Also, all new places of assembly in residential areas must have primary access on an arterial street and must use public sewer and water service, and not a private well and septic system.

The county originally had considered barring all new places of assembly from unincorporated residential neighborhoods, but scaled back on that plan. Along with religious houses of worship, the measure applies to other gathering spots, such as lodges for veterans groups. The provision dealing with single-family homes has drawn some critics. “You look back 250 years on this continent, and single-family homes have been the primary starting place for religious worship as a congregation, as an assembly,” attorney Mark Daniel, who has represented several Islamic organizations, told the board. “In this ordinance, you have a provision saying existing homes cannot be converted.”

However, several County Board members noted that the county’s zoning process does allow houses of worship to be placed in existing homes with a variance. “The idea of coming forward with a variance to place these places of assembly in these areas is still available,” said County Board member Jeff Redick, R-Elmhurst. “It places in our hands the opportunity as a County Board to evaluate each and every one of these applications on its face.” And County Board member Jim Zay, R-Carol Stream, said the measure is necessary to control disruptive changes to neighborhoods.

“What we’re worried about is people’s property rights,” Zay said. “In our district, we have a lot of single-family homes being bought, and the next thing you know, there are 25 cars in the driveway, and (neighbors) are up in arms.” Maryam Judar, a staff attorney with the Citizen Advocacy Center in Elmhurst, praised the board for working to develop the zoning regulations. However, she expressed concerns about possible religious discrimination in the County Board’s review process for variations. “There is still potential for abuse in the process when reviewing applications for variations by people who might have differing viewpoints from those of the current board or future board, or those (viewpoints) of the current or future Board of Zoning Appeals,” she said. “Our…sincere hope is that the zoning process is not used to shut out those who are different from some of us and those who seek to enhance their spiritual and religious life.”

— Hat tip: JP

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Multiculturalism Continues to Grow in Central Oklahoma

OKLA. CITY — Several weeks ago, a panel of judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals in Denver asked an attorney representing the state of Oklahoma questions regarding the legality of the constitutional measure approved by the voters of Oklahoma that prohibits the state courts from considering Sharia law when making judicial decisions. That enactment received overwhelming support from a majority of the Oklahoma electorate and was described by those who proposed it as a “pre-emptive strike” against efforts to introduce Muslim law in Oklahoma despite the fact that there has been no record of any such efforts by any parties.

Similar measures have been proposed in other states and those who have sponsored them often have said, without much evidence, that their enactment would serve to protect Muslim women who have emigrated to the U.S. But historian Phillip Mansel has written in “Levant, Splendor and Catastrophe on the Mediterranean” of a time when both Christian and Jewish women in the Turkish empire voluntarily submitted to Muslim courts because of the greater inheritance rights women had under Sharia law then they did under Christian or Jewish law at that time. He also documents how Christians and Jews who lived in the lands ruled by the Turkish sultan often voluntarily submitted to Muslim courts to resolve legal disputes.

Mansell describes how in the three great Mediterranean ports of Smyrna, Alexandria and Beirut, people of different faiths and creeds lived and work together in relative harmony until the Turkish Empire collapsed in the early decades of the last century. Those cities are now part of the nations of Turkey, Egypt and Lebanon, respectively. Beginning in the 17th century many merchants from Europe and other regions came to those cities to engage in trade, and by agreement of the Turkish authorities they were governed in most aspects of their lives by consular officials from their home countries. They also were permitted to practice their religion without interference from the Turkish government.

Some of those merchants founded commercial firms that engaged in international trade, and many of those firms were in existence for several centuries. The historian makes clear that those ports were cosmopolitan places where a variety of languages and religious traditions flourished. But he also sets forth how the rise of Turkish and later Egyptian nationalism resulted in the forced departure of Greeks, Europeans and Jews from both Smyrna and Alexandria, and how those cities lost their multicultural character and much of their prosperity as a result. While Beirut maintained some of its cosmopolitan character despite a bloody civil war that began in the 1970s, Mansell fears that the rise of the militant Shiite party Hezbollah, which now controls parts of Beirut, and the continuing migration of Christians from Lebanon, may portend a similar fate for that city.

And in recent years Oklahoma City has become an increasingly cosmopolitan place, where immigrants from across the world have come for the economic opportunities that are found here. Future historians of Oklahoma will be able to chronicle how by the early years of the 21st century Oklahoma City and Edmond both had Muslim, Catholic and Christian schools in operation, and that cricket matches played by Indians and Pakistanis were offered in those communities on a frequent basis. Spanish language media, including newspapers and a television station are now also in operation in the Oklahoma City area, and a Chinese language newspaper is currently being published in Edmond. And in time Oklahoma’s capital probably will enjoy the cultural and economic vitality that is the result of being a multicultural city.

WILLIAM F. O’BRIEN is an Oklahoma City attorney.

[JP note: I didn’t see that leap of the imagination in the last paragraph from Beirut to Oklahoma City coming.]

— Hat tip: JP

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North County to Get a Taste of Islam

If the selective application of truth fosters lies as San Luis Obispo resident Dr. Rushdi Abdul-Cader suggests, the whole truth is the best cure.Abdul-Cader, Rev. Jane Voigts and Dr. Stephen R. Lloyd-Moffett have been sharing the truth about Islam for the past four years, primarily in San Luis Obispo. But due to popular demand, the group will present “A Taste of Islam: An Introduction to the Faith of Muslims” at the Atascadero Pavilion on the Lake on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., complete with a catered lunch.

In previous years, the presentation consisted of six one-hour classes held over six weeks in San Luis Obispo. For the North County crowd, the organizers decided to limit it to a one-day class broken up with a catered lunch. The lunch will be catered by Aasim Sajjad, owner of the Shalimar Indian Restaurant in San Luis Obispo. Sajjad has catered the class before. Though Sajjad downplayed the significance of the event, Abdul-Cader said that midway through the series last year, one of Sajjad’s customers said that if he, Sajjad, continued to cater the event, the customer would spread the word that he was supporting terrorism.

Which is an attitude that, Abdul-Cader said, illustrates perfectly the need for the class. “It’s an academic treatment of Islam,” Abdul-Cader said. “[The class is] not a propaganda thing.” Lloyd-Moffett, assistant professor of philosophy and religious studies program at Cal Poly, agreed with Abdul-Cader. “There’s enough interesting stuff about religion — any religion — without making stuff up,” Lloyd-Moffett said.

Lloyd-Moffett said he got involved in educating the public at large about Islam last year. He said he was tired of the misinformation being thrown around surrounding the idea of an Islamic center at Ground Zero in New York City. “So our job is to help people become intelligent consumers of the news they receive,” he said. Voigts, the pastor of San Luis Obispo Methodist Church, said she got involved because when one religious community is stigmatized, the others should stand up for it. “This is an example of how faith communities should support each other,” Voigts said. “If there weren’t any resistance to [Islam], the class wouldn’t be worth it.”

Abdul-Cader, himself a Muslim, said he is involved for two major reasons. First, he said he wants to combat what he calls “Mislam,” a term he uses to “differentiate the advocacy of misanthropes and malicious people who happen to practice the religion of Islam from the Abrahamic faith of 1.65 billion people.” The other reason he gave is that he doesn’t want his children to be looked at as anybody’s enemy. “It’s unfair for my wife and kids to be cast in the shadow of Mislam,” Abdul-Cader said.

To combat Mislam, the group has a very definite and practiced plan. Before lunch, Lloyd-Moffett said, he will lecture, classroom-style, about the history and philosophy of Islam, the Quran and its relationship with other religions. “There’s no agenda,” Lloyd-Moffett said. “It’s not from a positive point of view or an apologist point of view. It’s just the facts.” After lunch, which Voigts said would have vegetarian options, the group will address the major talking points: women, violence and paranoia. “Widespread fear mixed with widespread ignorance is a lethal combination,” Lloyd-Moffett said. “We live next to each other, so we have an obligation to understand each other. That doesn’t mean we’re all the same. But difference doesn’t mean you have to be disagreeable.”

Voigts echoed that thought. “It’s a chance for the folks of Atascadero to get to know one another,” she said. “We hope to help people meet people they might not have met otherwise.” But, above all, the three want to battle ignorance. And ignorance, Lloyd-Moffett said, is not necessarily the fault of the ignorant. “If someone tells me something about nuclear science, I don’t know if it makes sense or not,” Lloyd-Moffett said. “But we live in a world now where knowledge of religion is not just a nice thing to have, but I think it’s become a civic duty because we live in such a global environment.”

But Voigts said it’s not going to be a difficult class, and will actually be a lot of fun. “It’s to help people get a six-hour, helpful academic introduction to Islam, have a chance to meet some people they may not have known from cross cultures — and across town — and have a good time,” Voigts said. “It should be fun. I think we’ve kept it somewhat light and yummy — both in ideas and cuisine.” The event is open to everybody. The group suggests a $20 donation to help cover rental fees and to help pay for the next class, but said they would welcome any size donation, and folks should not think of the donation as a ticket price. mFor more information, contact Rev. Jane Voigts at 543-7580 or pastor@sloumc.com or Rev. Susan Brecht at 466-9108 or since

— Hat tip: JP

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Radical Islam: A Problem World Leaders Must Confront

Radical Islam is a growing problem throughout the world. In Europe, it’s a burgeoning issue that politicians have been unwilling to address properly because of the influence of Muslims there, but it’s a critical problem in the United States, too — especially in our nation’s prisons.

The mood in the U.S. is so anti-anti-Islam that politicians run for cover whenever Islam is raised as an issue. Not so with Representative Peter King (R-New York). He endured death threats and ridicule from liberals because he held hearings in the House of Representatives to investigate the Islamist threat we face as a nation. The people who castigated King because he took his job in the House seriously will be the first in line to raise a ruckus if/when a homegrown terrorist, maybe an ex-convict who is out on parole, attacks innocent men, women, and children in this country.

I’m reminded of a scene in the movie Ghost Writer. Pierce Brosnan plays a former British prime minister being charged with crimes against humanity in the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Geneva, Switzerland for trying to prevent terrorist attacks in Great Britain. Toward the end of the movie, Brosnan tells his ghostwriter (Ewan McGregor) that if he had it to do all over again, he would have two lines for people boarding planes out of England. The first line would lead to planes carrying passengers whose terrorist affiliations and connections were not investigated. The second line would lead to planes carrying passengers who had been cleared. He says, in effect, “You know which planes the chronic complainers would board. Every one of them would choose a plane that we cleared.”

The movie is fiction, but the problem is real. World leaders who attempt to deal with the growing Islamist militancy problem that’s spreading across the globe like a putrid infection are at risk of being charged with crimes against humanity or worse in the ICC. For example, President George W. Bush was forced to cancell a trip to Geneva in February 2011 to avoid being charged with crimes against humanity for the role he played as president of the United States in creating the federal prison in Guantánamo Bay, where the U.S. holds captured terrorists.

Radical Islam Is a Global Threat

An article in a June 2011 issue of The Weekly Standard titled “From Somalia to Nigeria: Jihad” stops far short of revealing the extent to which radical Islamists have infiltrated countries around the world. “From Somalia to Nigeria” is across the heart of Africa, from the Arabian Sea to the South Atlantic, but jihadists have a major presence in every North African country, too, from Morocco to Egypt. Their presence in the Middle East is obvious as well, from Saudi Arabia to Lebanon and Syria, but it doesn’t stop there. They have created strongholds in Iran, Afghanistan, and the Indian subcontinent. Their reach extends from India to the Philippines and Indonesia and into the heart of Asia from China to Russia.

Jihadists are active in Europe, too, but their presence doesn’t stop there, either. They have footholds in most South American countries, including Venezuela, Bolivia, and Brazil. Like a thriving cancer, jihadists have extended their reach to North America from Mexico to the United States to Canada.

Radical Islam is a problem that the entire world must confront. It’s not about politics. It’s about eradicating a festering sore before it turns into gangrene and threatens our very existence.

The YouTube videos below showing recent violent outbursts in Cairo aimed at Coptic Christians who dared to stand up for their rights demonstrate what the Arab Spring has become. Discrimination against Christians and Jews in the Muslim world isn’t limited to Egypt. It exists in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, and most other predominantly Muslim countries.

• 24 Dead in Worst Cairo Rioting in Months
• Raw Video: Deadly Sectarian Violence in Cairo
• Deadly clashes over Coptic protest in Cairo

The U.S. doesn’t need a president who bows and scrapes before Islamic despots in hopes of currying favor — something that President Obama is prone to do. We need a president who is willing to lead the leaders of the world in a global mission before it’s too late. We didn’t declare war on jihadists. They declared war on us, and they are deadly serious. We should be, too.

We Don’t Need Dilettantes in Leadership Positions

In a recent article, Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz pointed out that after a terrorist attack on Norway, Norway’s ambassador to Israel said that Hamas’ terrorist activity against Israel is more justified than terrorist attacks against Norway. The ambassador’s logic was simple, naïve, and asinine. “We Norwegians,” he said, “consider the occupation to be the cause of the terror against Israel.”

First things first: the land in question in Israel isn’t “occupied.” It’s “disputed land.” There’s a huge difference. People in Norway need to get it straight, and so do people in other nations around the world.

Second, Islamofascists have made it clear that they have set their sights on the entire world. They say that they want a one-world caliphate under sharia law. They don’t really mean that, though — they don’t want the rule of any law. They are subversive butchers, murderers, and thieves — Islamist anarchists, as it were. They are a threat to everyone, Muslims included. They don’t like even each other.

Third, the terrorist attack on Norway wasn’t carried out by a radical Islamist. It was perpetrated by Anders Breivik, a man who was reported by the Western media to be a Christian. His manifesto proves that that’s not so, but the anti-Christian point of view sells in a world where it’s okay to attack Jews and Christians, but not Muslims.

We may be witnessing the beginning of a global backlash against radical Islamists in the wake of government unwillingness to address the problem. In a nutshell, I’m saying that I don’t think Breivik was a lone wolf. Neither do I believe that the anti-Islamists of the world are connected in a formal sense — not yet, anyway, but that day may come.

When governments fail to do their jobs, people take matters into their own hands. I’m not excusing Breivik’s brutal, unprovoked attack on innocent victims, many of whom were children. I’m simply stating a fact, and I’ll repeat it to make sure that my message is crystal-clear. If people who are charged with the responsibility to secure our nations won’t do their jobs, vigilantism will result. It’s a dangerous consequence of government failure.

— Hat tip: JP

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Sharia Law Suitable for the United States?

by Michael Waldron

The title of Eliyahu Stern’s 2 Sep 2011 column in New York Times, “Don’t Fear Islamic Law in America,” caught my eye so I swallowed hard and read a New York Times opinion piece. I’ve lived twice in Pakistan so most things Islamic interest me — that’s my excuse for reading the New York Times. I soon learned that Professor Stern equated 19th and 20th century anti-Jewish prejudice toward Jewish law with present concerns about Islamic Sharia law. He references Napoleon’s concerns about the loyalty of Jews and German philosophers’ attempts to harmonize Jewish culture with the predominant Christian community. Apparently, one of those Germans, Bruno Bauer, was concerned that Jews wouldn’t work on Saturday. Really!

Professor Stern, an assistant professor of religious studies and history at Yale, states in his column: “The crusade against Shariah undermines American democracy, ignores our country’s successful history of religious tolerance and assimilation, and creates a dangerous divide between America and its fastest-growing religious minority.” This is not just some academic exercise because there are a large number of Muslims in southeastern Michigan and there already have been some calls for allowing Sharia law in Michigan. Professor Stern’s academic credentials, notwithstanding, I cannot see any connection between anti-Jewish law sentiment and anti-Sharia law sentiment. Professor Stern theorizes that allowing Sharia law will promote a moderate form of Islam and increase the assimilation of Muslims. There are three major problems with that theory.

First, the British have experimented with allowing Sharia law in Britain for some time. If both parties in a civil suit agree, the British legal system allows Sharia law to decide the case. There is no evidence that this has promoted assimilation of Muslims in Britain. If recent civil unrest is any indication, it has not.

Second, Americans traditionally tolerate all religions, except where religions violate the rights of its members. For instance, the United States refused to admit Utah into the Union until Mormons renounced polygamy. Sharia law varies from country to country and from Sunni to Shia Islamic sects. Some aspects of Sharia Law would conflict dramatically with American law. For instance:

• Men may marry up to four women, although polygamy is rare.
• A man can unilaterally divorce his wife by stating three times “I divorce…” in front of witnesses.
• Testimony of two women equals the testimony of one man.
• Homosexuality is forbidden.
• The penalty for adultery is stoning.
• The penalty for thievery is the amputation of one hand.
• Apostasy is punishable by death.
• In some countries, blasphemy is punishable by death.

Third, is there any historical example where the United States recognized such a radical departure from our legal traditions, particularly equal protection under the law? Professor Stern provides no example.

I am no expert on Islam, and I must reiterate that Sharia Law is not the same everywhere; nevertheless, some of the aspects of Sharia law listed above are in effect in most Muslim countries. Especially regarding the status of women, there doesn’t appear to be any common ground between Sharia law and the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees equal treatment of men and women.

Would we really allow an Islamic community in America to stone to death an adulteress or execute a Muslim who converted to another faith? In other aspects of Islamic life, Americans make no restrictions where there is no conflict with American law. For instance, no one cares whether Muslims eat pork or drink alcohol or on which day Muslims pray together communally.

I should add that some aspects of Sharia law are good. Zakat or alms tax for the poor is one of them. Furthermore, there are protections for women and children in Sharia law.

This column concentrates on those aspects of Sharia law that conflict with our constitution. The last paragraph begs the question, “Why not allow parts of Sharia law that do not conflict with our Constitution if the parties involved want Sharia law to decide their case?” That’s what the British did. As I remarked, allowing Sharia law did not bring the Islamic community closer to the Anglo community. In fact, I think it emphasized the differences or at least perpetuated them.

There is another aspect of Islam that is troubling to non-Muslims. From the very beginning of the history of Islam, there has been the belief that the world is divided into Dar al Islam (House of Islam) where Islam is dominant and Dar al Harb (House of War) where Islam is not dominant. The obvious implication is that there will be war in all areas not dominated by Islam. Modern day jihadists are most adamant about converting the entire world to Dar al Islam by whatever means available.

Immigration is usually a voluntary act. Rather than placing the onus on the United States to make Muslims feel comfortable by allowing them to use Sharia law, Muslim immigrants must accept the U.S. Constitution, which grants freedom to all—even wives and daughters. America is a unique country in the world. An immigrant becomes a full-fledged citizen immediately when that person accepts the democratic ideals of our Constitution. We do not stigmatize immigrants because of their race, religion, or language. We only ask that they accept the democratic traditions of our constitution. That should extend to Muslim immigrants like it has to every other immigrant group.

— Hat tip: JP

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‘Wham! Bam! Islam!’ Review: Disappointing

Wham! Bam! Islam!: Documentary, on “Independent Lens,” 10 p.m. today [13 October 2011], PBS

You know those times when you’re watching a film or TV show and you wish you could magically thrust your hands through the screen, take the filmmaker by the scruff of the neck and strongly suggest he just knock it off? That’s the kind of reaction the season premiere documentary on PBS’ “Independent Lens” may provoke when it airs tonight at 10. “Wham! Bam! Islam” isn’t exactly bait-and-switch, but the merely adequate film misses its own point much of the time.

Director Isaac Solotaroff had a really fascinating subject to tackle in Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, a Columbia-educated Kuwaiti psychologist who created a comic book series several years ago called The 99, designed to give Muslim kids superheroes they could identify with, as opposed to Western icons like Batman, Spider-man and Superman. The concept was far easier said than done. Working with a multinational team, including an artist and an editor who had experience in the creation of Western comics, Naif’s plan at first received a great deal of mostly positive media attention in the Muslim world, but then reality reared its objecting head.

The name and concept for the comic derive from the 99 virtues of Allah, which are embodied in young male and female superheroes around the world in the comic book. Fully understanding the restrictions of Islamic law when it comes to depictions of Allah and Muhammad, Naif and his team work hard to make sure the comic’s characters come across as human representations of the 99 attributes, not manifestations of the deity or the prophet.

Despite their good intentions, they run afoul of some Muslim communities. Saudi Arabia won’t allow the comics into the country at all, groups in other nations question the revealing costumes of some of the superheroes, and others argue that personification of the 99 attributes is itself forbidden under Islamic law. Those are the topics that make “Wham! Bam!” partially interesting. The problem is that the opposition Naif faces in the Islamic world thwarts his business plan, and that’s what Solotaroff finds more fascinating than the cultural conflicts.

The financial problems Naif encounters stem directly from opposition from within the Islamic community. But instead of focusing on those issues, Solotaroff concentrates on Naif’s money woes, including the rapid descent of his new company, leading to staff layoffs. After Naif got things back on track, he sold part of the company to an Islamic investment firm and began to expand the franchise with merchandising and an animated version of the comic book, which was supposed to air on the Hub channel in the United States.

However, as a printed postscript informs us, an article in the New York Post claimed the animated series was meant to indoctrinate young viewers and the Hub pulled the show.

What happened after Solotaroff finished most of the work on the film actually points up its shortcomings. But even if the animated version had sailed onto American television, we’d be left wanting to know more about the debate over culture and religion within the Muslim world.

There’s a particularly fertile scene in the film, showing a group of Muslim teens break-dancing. One of them talks about how tradition can be stifling in his country and about how the older generation needs, basically, to lighten up. He’s like any teenager anywhere, of course, but the scene and a handful of others leave us with more questions than answers.

This really isn’t a film about Islamophobia: It’s a film about marketing. “Wham! Bam! Islam!” may play well enough at Wharton, but for general viewers, it’s a disappointment

— Hat tip: JP

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Canadian University Appoints Terror-Supporter to Head Department

In March, Huron University College—an affiliated campus of London, Ontario’s University of Western Ontario—announced its intent to accept a $2 million endowment to install a Chair in Islamic Studies, as part of Huron’s Faculty of Theology. The money was to come from various sources, but the bulk of it from the Muslim Association of Canada, a Canadian Islamic organization that aims to uphold the values of the Muslim Brotherhood, and the International Institute of Islamic Thought, an organization indicted alongside al-Qaeda as a sponsor of terrorism.

The College dismissed concerns early on about financial links to radical individuals and organizations, with then-interim principal Trish Fulton saying, “Huron University College is aware of the allegations against IIIT… The funding was approved by our Executive Board after a thorough due diligence process, which we would implement in the event of any gift of this magnitude.”

Now, sources inside Huron University College have stated the College’s intent to announce their appointment tomorrow morning. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a member of the College’s search committee revealed the appointment to be Dr. Ingrid Mattson, a convert to Islam who is presently a Professor of Islamic Studies at Hartford Seminary in Connecticut, and Director of the MacDonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations.

The presence of a white, female, English-speaking, convert to Islam in such a leadership role for North American Muslims may seem like the community’s embrace of progressiveness, but Mattson is far from being a moderate.

In 2001, Mattson claimed that Wahhabism—Saudi-sponsored terrorism that was in play during the September 11 attacks—was “analogous to the European protestant reformation”. She denounced it had any role in 9/11, which has been disproven. More shockingly, in a post-9/11 PBS interview, she candidly stated that she couldn’t find “any difference” between Christian leaders criticizing Islam and Osama bin Laden claiming to represent Islamic theology.

This ‘expert’ in Muslim-Christian relations also claimed that, “Right-wing Christians are very risky allies for American Jews, because they are really anti-Semitic. They do not like Jews.” I must have missed this memo; I apologize to any of my Jewish friends whom I misled by claiming I liked them.

Mattson also justified Palestinian terrorism, inferring it’s the natural byproduct of a people being forced to “defend their families and lands,” even going so far as to lay some of the blame on American foreign policy. How about Muslim sleeper cells? Surely we can all agree that those aren’t ideal. Well, according to Dr. Moderate, they don’t exist.

The list goes on.

Most interestingly, Huron College claims that the appointment of a Chair in Islamic Studies, a first in Canada, serves to continue the College’s tradition of “building bridges” between religious communities, rather amusing given that Mattson has stated her opposition to intellectual discourse when it comes to Islam, saying, “It is not permitted for a Muslim to maintain a close friendship with a highly intelligent person who engages him or her in stimulating conversation[…] Clearly there are groups among American Christians and Jews who are so hostile to Muslims that we should not join with them even in shared concerns, lest we lend any credibility to their organizations.”

Radicalism is not born overnight. It’s accomplished when political correctness and complacency allow our conquerors to control debate, the flow of information, and more specifically, the process of education. Breeding radicals is not only done through mosques, but through publicly-funded universities.

The West is now on a road from which there is no turning back.

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British Government Seeks Royal Succession Reform

(AGI) London — The British government has started procedures to change the rules on royal succession. Under the government’s proposal, the first child of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge would become monarch regardless of sex, which means that an elder daughter would no longer be passed over in favour of a younger brother. British prime minister David Cameron wrote to the 16 Commonwealth nations where Queen Elizabeth II is recognised as the Head of State to inform them of the planned reform which would also lift a long-standing ban on heirs to the throne marrying Roman Catholics.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Netherlands: Ceremonial Monarchy Growing in Popularity

While 75% of the Dutch population supports the monarchy, a growing number thinks it is time for modernisation, with 25% in favour of a ceremonial monarchy, according to figures released on Monday by the NOS.

The NOS asked agency Synovate to conduct the research ahead of a debate on the monarchy to be broadcast this evening. The discussion is about whether to remove the monarch from the Council of State, which would need a change in the constitution, or just end the monarch’s involvement in government, which needs a simple majority.

A growing number of people think the monarch should no longer be involved in government. In April this year the figure was 33%. That has now grown to 37%.

If there is a change to a ceremonial monarchy, 50% of those questioned said this should be done when Willem-Alexander succeeds to the throne.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Netherlands: Queen Should Pay Tax: Say MPs

The royal family will have to pay tax, pay rent on their palaces and lose their right to free air travel if proposals from the Labour party get majority support in parliament.

The royal family budget is set to be discussed today and a majority of MPs back ending the queen’s tax free status, according to Tuesday’s Volkskrant.

‘Everyone has to tighten their belts and that includes the highest in the land,’ said Labour MP Jeroen Recourt.

Clarity

Recourt also wants more clarity on the royal family’s spending. ‘The budget may have been modernised but there are still many hidden elements,’ he said. ‘I want that to be clearer.’

In particular, Recourt is concerned about the blurring of the line between the family’s public role and private spending.

The MP is not calling for a reduction in the queen, prince Willem-Alexander and princess Maxima’s annual allowances. ‘A queen should not have to make a state visit in dresses from [high-street retailer] H&M,’ he said.

Spending cuts

However, according to the Telegraaf, a majority of VVD MPs want the government to cut the royal family’s basic allowance — unchanged next year at €7.2m. The party is set to urge the prime minister to cut the royals’ budget from 2013.

There is considerable pressure from parliament for a change in the royal family’s role. The queen, for example, is officially head of the government and is central in the formation of new coalitions.

A survey for Nos television by Synovate found that 75% of the Dutch do not want the role of the monarchy to be purely ceremonial and two-thirds think Willem-Alexander should modernise the institution when he takes over from his mother.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Norway Killer Says 80 Militant Cells in Europe: Police

OSLO (Reuters) — Anders Behring Breivik, who has confessed to the bomb and shooting attacks that killed 77 people in Norway in July, says there are up to 80 cells in Europe with militant anti-Islamic ideals like his own, Norwegian investigators said on Thursday.

Norwegian police said previously that Breivik had said there were two or three cells in Norway, apart from himself, and “several” elsewhere in Europe that shared his plans to stop what they saw as an Islamic invasion of Europe.

“It’s more like three in Norway and 80 around Europe,” police prosecutor Christian Hatlo told Reuters, adding that Breivik had made the allegation since shortly after his arrest on July 22.

Hatlo added: “We have not uncovered a single one of them.”

He said the police had intentionally played down Breivik’s alleging of 80 like-minded cells in order to avoid causing panic across the continent at the time.

Police spokesman Roar Hansen, who has briefed reporters since the attacks, confirmed the number.

“The number I now have is between 60 and 80,” he said. “But I don’t think they (investigators) trust what Breivik is saying on this matter.”

Hatlo said Norwegian police had asked authorities in 20 nations to interview 35 non-Norwegians in connection with the July 22 killings caused by a bomb in Oslo and a gun massacre at a nearby island summer camp for Labor Party youths.

Fifteen of the 35 remain to be interviewed, he said, though none is considered a potential accomplice. He said the purpose of the international inquiries was to document Breivik’s travels, purchases and ideological alliances.

“We still think he (Breivik) did this alone and we have not uncovered any accomplices. But it is far too early to draw any final conclusions,” Hatlo said.

At a news conference on Thursday Hatlo said investigators had recovered 186 shell casings from the island where Breivik attacked the summer camp, killing 69 of his 77 victims.

— Hat tip: heroyalwhyness

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Rich Tradition of Sagas Form Heart of Modern Iceland

Iceland’s sagas lie at the heart of the island nation’s modern culture. The tiny country’s oral traditions were a main form of entertainment when only a few thousand people were spread out across the island.

Icelandic sagas have had an undeniable impact on world literature. Previously, when Iceland was a scattered nation living in pretty poor conditions in turf huts, the sagas were a recreational outlet, Arthur Björgvin Bollason said. The author and translator who lives in Frankfurt, was long time director of Saga Center in southern Iceland. “The sagas helped people have more joy in life,” he said. “They have been handed down from one generation to another and played a role in everyday life, because the narrative was a kind of happiness, a form of entertainment. There was not so much entertainment in those days.”

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Train Track Attacks: Debate Over ‘Leftist Terrorism’ Erupts in Germany

So far, authorities have found at least 17 incendiary devices near German rail facilities in and around Berlin this week. Many are concerned that the country is seeing the beginnings of a wave of leftist terror. But others, including left-wing extremists themselves, aren’t so sure.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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UK: Harry Potter’s “Vincent Crabbe” Charged as London Rioter

(AGI) London- Jamie Waylett, who played bully Vincent Crabbe in Harry Potter, has been charged with rioting in London in August. Waylett took part in the rioting which put a Camden neighbourhood to the fire and sword on August 8. Marijuana plants were also found in Waylett’s home. Arrested on September 20, Waylett went before the Highbury court judge today after being released on bail.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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UK: Harris Tweed: The Champagne of Fabrics Recovers Its Fizz

Harris Tweed is Britain’s most famous fabric and is the only cloth in the world protected by an act of parliament. It has been made for centuries by inhabitants of the Isles of Harris and Lewis in Scotland. Once synonymous with aristocratic hunting-shooting party attire and later for somewhat stuffy men’s suits, Harris Tweed was launched into the realms of high-fashion by Vivienne Westwood in the 1980s. In recent years, however, its popularity has waned: falling sales and the development of modern outdoor materials like Gore-Tex cast a shadow over its future. But now, thanks to local passion and revised marketing strategies, the Scottish fabric is making a comeback: Production and sales are booming and the whole industry is sparkling once more.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Unparalleled Preservation: Near-Perfect Young Dinosaur Fossil Found in Bavaria

German paleontologists have discovered what they believe is the best-preserved dinosaur skeleton ever found in Europe. Some 98 percent of the fossil found in the southern state of Bavaria is intact, and it will soon be placed on display for a short time in Munich.

The discovery of young, unnamed dinosaur fossils is rare, but on Wednesday researchers in southern German state of Bavaria announced they had uncovered an almost perfect specimen. The flesh-eating member of the theropod subgroup, which walked on its hind legs, is among the best preserved specimens of its kind worldwide, said Oliver Rauhut, conservator of Bavaria’s state paleontological and geological collections (BSPG) in Munich. The fossil found in the central Bavarian community of Kelheim is about 98 percent complete, and also includes preserved bits of skin. “The around 135-million-year-old fossil is of outstanding scientific importance,” dinosaur expert Rauhut told the German news agency DPA.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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European Union: An Enlargement of Illusions

Dagens Nyheter, Stockholm

In opening up the prospect of accession to several candidate countries, the European Commissioner for Enlargement means to put on a show of optimism. But it only reinforces the impression that Europe doesn’t know where it’s going, writes the Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter.

Annika Ström Melin

Poor Štefan Füle. On 12 October, the European Commissioner for Enlargement had the thankless task of presenting the annual report in Brussels on the nine countries — Croatia, Turkey, Iceland, Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Kosovo — that want to join the Union. The presentation was somewhat surreal, staged as if nothing serious was happening in the EU, as if everything was ticking over normally.

Štefan Fule is not what one might call a joker, which did not prevent him from declaring that the future of Europe is bright. See how successful the EU strategy is! Europe puts forwards its demands, and the countries that want to join become more democratic. 2011 was a good year for the expansion, Štefan Fule asserts. It’s a brave facade, for the Commissioner barely dares to believe it himself.

Iceland is the best prepared

The less encouraging truth is, first of all, that several countries waiting outside the door of Europe have serious problems, and so the EU is unlikely to be able to grow much more. Certainly, the negotiations with Croatia have been completed, and the Commission proposes to welcome the country into the EU in 2013. Štefan Fule also believes that Serbia and Montenegro have made progress and so will be able to take some further steps on the long road to membership.

But negotiations with Turkey have been suspended, and the country seems to have headed in the wrong direction, like Bosnia, Albania and Kosovo. It’s Iceland, which has already adopted large parts of European law, that seems most ready. It remains to be seen, however, whether the Icelanders will want to vote “yes” when the time comes to decide by referendum the question of accession.

The Union can not welcome more poor countries

Everyone knows, though, that the question of further enlargement does not concern merely the integration of candidate countries. It’s equally important to get a picture of how the 27 current members are doing. Can they overcome their difficulties, preserve their cohesion? Otherwise, how would the Union find the energy to welcome new countries, most of which are poor?

Štefan Füle has given assurances that the expansion will continue and that everything is “under control” in Brussels. At a time when the euro is wobbling, and with it the whole of the European Union, the European Commissioner is grooming the candidate countries with an undiminished enthusiasm. It’s a facade of self-assurance whose main effect is to deepen the sense of crisis…

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Egypt: A Firsthand Account: Marching From Shubra to Deaths at Maspero

by Sarah Carr

The march from the Cairo district of Shubra was huge, like the numbers on 28 January. In the front row was a group of men in long white bibs, “martyr upon demand” written on their chests. A tiny old lady walked among them, waving a large wooden cross: “God protect you my children, God protect you.” The march started down Shubra Street around 4 pm, past its muddle of old apartment buildings, beat up and sad but still graceful compared with the constructions from the Mubarak era next to them — brutish and unfinished-looking.

A man explained why there were bigger numbers than the march last week in response to the attack on the St. George’s Church in Aswan: the army had hit a priest while violently dispersing Coptic protesters in front of the Maspero state TV building on Wednesday. A video posted online showed a young man being brutally assaulted by army soldiers and riot police.

At a traffic underpass at the end of Shubra Street, shortly after the march started, there was the sudden sound of what sounded like gunfire. Protesters at the front told those behind to stop — the march was under attack. Rocks rained down from left and right and from the bridge, underneath which protesters were taking shelter. Some threw stones back. Behind them, protesters chanted, “The people want the removal of the Field Commander.” The stone throwing eventually stopped sufficiently for the march to continue. A teenage boy crossed himself repeatedly as he moved forward toward the rocks.

Darkness fell just as the march reached Galaa Street. “This is our country,” protesters chanted, led by a man on a pickup truck full of speakers. An illuminated cross floated through the darkness. At the headquarters of state daily newspaper Al-Ahram, a single rock was thrown at the door, likely a comment on its coverage of violence against Copts. Outside the Ramsis Hilton Hotel, the chanting stopped momentarily — the exuberance of having escaped the attack in Shubra faded as the march rounded the corner toward Maspero. It was immediately met with gunfire in the air. As protesters continued moving forwards, the gunfire continued.

Suddenly, there was a great surge of people moving back, and something strange happened. Two armored personnel carriers (APCs) began driving at frightening speed through protesters, who threw themselves out of its path. A soldier on top of each vehicle manned a gun, and spun it wildly, apparently shooting at random although the screams made it difficult to discern exactly where the sound of gunfire was coming from.

It was like some brutal perversion of the military show the armed forces put on for the 6th of October celebration three days before. The two vehicles zigzagged down the road outside Maspero underneath the 6th of October Bridge and then back in synchronicity, the rhythm for this particular parade provided by the “tac tac tac” of never-ending gunfire, the music the screams of the protesters they drove directly at. And then it happened: an APC mounted the island in the middle of the road, like a maddened animal on a rampage. I saw a group of people disappear, sucked underneath it. It drove over them. I wasn’t able to see what happened to them because it then started coming in my direction. Later, as riot police fired tear gas at another small attempt at a demonstration and fires burned around Maspero, I found on the floor part of one of the white “martyrs upon demand” bibs the men had been wearing, and took it home. It had been ripped in half.

**

The Coptic Hospital tried its best to deal with the sudden influx of casualties. Its floors were sticky with blood and there was barely room to move among the wounded, the worried and the inconsolable. A man asked if we were press, and whether we’d like to film the morgue if we “were strong enough.” The morgue was a harshly lit two-room building surrounded by men and women screaming and hitting themselves in paroxysms of grief. In the first room there were two bodies, middle-aged men on the floor next to the fridge, which we were told held three bodies. In the other room there were the bodies of 12 men of varying ages.

A young woman sat by one of them clasping his hand and wailing. Vivian and Michael, who were engaged to be married. Michael had been crushed, his leg destroyed. Next to Michael was the body of a man whose face was contorted into an impossible expression. A priest opened his hands and showed me the remains of the man’s skull and parts of his brain. He too had been crushed. Outside a woman said out loud to the dead, “How lucky you are, now in heaven!” A man screamed, “We won’t be silent again.”

**

Even while the wounded were still being brought in, state TV was reporting that Christian protesters stole weapons from the army and killed soldiers, and that the busy “foreign hands” are back again, still trying to destabilize Egypt. There should be a finality in death, an unchallengeable truth when it happens with the simple brutality of last night. But even when death happens on Maspero’s doorstep, it can be rewritten, in order to lend a twisted sense where there is none, to justify the impossible and, above all, to sabotage any attempt to consider that the problem is within us, not without.

— Hat tip: JP

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Egypt: The Cairo Pogrom

by Jeff Jacoby

HAVE YOU EVER seen a pogrom? Sarah Carr has. “The Coptic Hospital tried its best to deal with the sudden influx of casualties,” wrote Carr, a Cairo-based journalist and blogger, in her firsthand account of Sunday’s deadly attack on Christian protesters by the Egyptian military. “Its floors were sticky with blood and there was barely room to move among the wounded.”

In one room of the hospital morgue Carr counted the bodies of 12 people, some of whom had been killed when soldiers in armored personnel vehicles charged the crowd, firing and random and crushing the protesters they ran over. One of the victims was “a man whose face was contorted into an impossible expression. A priest . . . showed me the remains of the man’s skull and parts of his brain. He too had been crushed.”

What happened in Egypt on Sunday was a massacre. Government security forces assaulted Coptic Christians as they marched peacefully to the headquarters of the state TV network. They were protesting the recent burning of St. George’s, a Coptic church in the Upper Egypt village of El-Marinab. Yet broadcasters loyal to the ruling military junta exhorted “honorable Egyptians” to help the army put down the protests. “Soon afterward, bands of young men armed with sticks, rocks, swords, and firebombs began to roam central Cairo, attacking Christians,” the Associated Press reported. “Troops and riot police did not intervene.” Video of the violence was quickly uploaded to the Internet. So were even more graphic images of the murdered protesters.

Back during the Tahrir Square demonstrations against strongman Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian military was widely praised for not using force to crush the protests and keep Mubarak in power. Then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates, for example, declared that Egypt’s military had “conducted itself in exemplary fashion” and “made a contribution to the evolution of democracy.” Popular, too, was the notion that the uprising could catalyze a new era of interfaith solidarity. “Egypt’s religious tensions have been set aside,” reported the BBC in February, “as the country’s Muslims and Christians join forces at anti-government protests.”

But the “spirit of Tahrir Square” has ushered in neither liberal democracy nor a rebirth of tolerance for Egypt’s ancient but beleaguered Christian minority.One of the country’s leading liberal reformers, Ayman Nour, said Monday that with the latest bloodshed, the military has lost whatever goodwill it accrued last spring. It’s hard to believe that the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces cares. In the eight months since Mubarak’s ouster, the military has tried and convicted some 12,000 Egyptian civilians in military tribunals, often after using torture to extract confessions. The country’s hated emergency laws, which allow suspects to be detained without charge, not only remain in force, but have been expanded to cover offenses as vague as “spreading rumors” or “blocking traffic.” And just as Mubarak did, the generals insist that government repression is all that stands between Egypt and social chaos.

As for Egypt’s Coptic Christians, their plight has gone from bad to worse. Post-Mubarak Egypt has seen “an explosion of violence against the Coptic Christian community,” the international news channel France24 was reporting as far back as May. “Anger has flared up into deadly riots, and houses, shops, and churches have been set ablaze.”

With Islamist hardliners growing increasingly influential, hate crimes against Christians routinely go unpunished. Copts, who represent a tenth of Egypt’s population, are subjected to appalling humiliations. The mob that destroyed St. George’s had first demanded that the church be stripped of its crosses and bells; after the Christians yielded to that demand, local Muslims insisted that the church dome be removed as well. For several weeks, Copts in El-Marinab were literally besieged, forbidden to leave their homes or buy food unless they agreed to mutilate their nearly century-old house of worship. On September 30, Muslim thugs set fire to the church and demolished its dome, pillars, and walls. For good measure, they also burned a Coptic-owned shop and four homes.

Many Copts are choosing to leave Egypt, rather than live under this intensifying anti-Christian persecution. The Egyptian Union of Human Rights Organizations calculated last month that more than 90,000 Christians have fled the country since March 2011. At that rate, estimated human-rights advocate Naguib Gabriel, one-third of Egypt’s Coptic population will have vanished within a decade. Or maybe sooner — maybe much sooner — if Sunday’s anti-Christian pogrom is a sign of things to come.

— Hat tip: JP

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Egyptian Priest Says Coptic Church Was Not Attacked, Admits to Building Violations

While Egyptians, Muslims and Christians alike, are trying to fathom the tragedy that took place Sunday, when 25 people were killed in bloody clashes following protests by Copts against the demolition of a church in the south of the country, a statement made by a prominent monk has left people in an even more puzzled state. Monk Hedra, the archbishop of Aswan, in Upper Egypt, took everyone by surprise when he said that the Mar Girgis church in the village of al-Marinab was not subjected to demolition, as believed by Copts who staged massive protests outside the state TV building in Cairo to protest against religious discrimination in the country. “It is not true that Muslims in the village attacked Christians during the construction of the church, nor that they tried to demolish it or take the cross down from its dome,” the monk said in an interview with the Coptic channel Karma. “There have never been any aspects of sectarian strife in the village to start with,” he added.

Monk Hedra then recounted the story of the church that precipitated the clashes. The church, he said, was originally a place where residents of the village met to socialize, and Copts used to pray there on religious occasions. Masses were always performed under the protection of security. “This was the case for a long time until the place became very shabby and needed renovation. It was then that Monk Makarius Bolos made use of the contacts he has with security and the engineering administration in Edfou [the city in Aswan governorate to which the village is administratively affiliated] in order to issue renovation permits, citing the building as the Mar Girgis Church.”

Based on this permit, Monk Hedra went on, Monk Makarius demolished the house, which was owned by a Copt in the village, and started building a church. “The permit stipulated a specific height and Monk Makarius exceeded that. This is a fact no one can deny.” According to Monk Hedra, Monk Makarius counted on his good relations with Muslims in the village, many of whom helped with the construction. “The problem started after the construction, which rose higher than expected, was noticed by relatives of villagers who came to visit during the Lesser Bairam. They started rebuking the Muslims of the village for letting this happen and accused them of weakness.”

This incitement, he explained, resulted in some skirmishes between Muslims and Christians in the village, but Muslims did not come near the church and not one Christian was harmed in one way or another. “No crosses or bells were placed on top in the first place to be removed by Muslims or to make Muslims force Copts to remove them, as reported.”

By then, Monk Hedra added, rumors were spreading all over Egypt. “They were totally baseless and none of what was said happened in the village. No one thought of verifying the information from us.”

(Translated from Arabic by Sonia Farid)

URL: http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/10/12/171399.html

— Hat tip: JP

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Islam’s War on the Cross: Egypt’s Move to Democracy Under Threat After Latest Attack on Coptic Community

Christians in Egypt are used to persecution, but this week’s deadly attacks on a Copt demonstration threaten the country’s move from military rule to democracy.

In the 19 or so centuries since Christianity first took root in Egypt, the ritual of mourning has become an all-too-familiar experience for the majority of the country’s Coptic community. Egypt’s eight million Copts may claim to be their nation’s oldest surviving indigenous faith, but that has not spared them from prolonged periods of persecution, most recently at the hands of Islamist militants. In many respects, the tone was set for nearly two millennia of oppression of the Copts, one of the world’s oldest Christian sects, by the martyrdom of St Mark the Evangelist, the disciple who established the Christian faith in Alexandria just a few years after the ascension of Christ.

The establishment of a new religion was bitterly resented by the city’s pagan population, who feared it would turn Alexandrians away from the worship of their traditional gods. They exacted their revenge on Easter Monday in 68 AD when Roman soldiers put a rope around St Mark’s neck and dragged him through the streets of Alexandria until he was dead.

These days the methods used to persecute Egypt’s Copts might not be so primitive, but their overall effect is no less barbaric. During the latest outbreak of Coptic-related violence in Cairo on Sunday night, several Copts are reported to have been crushed to death by the tracks of an armoured military vehicle that ploughed into a group of protesters as they sang hymns and held aloft the Cross.

The roots of the current wave of anti-Coptic violence are murky. At first it was assumed that Islamist militants, who have waged a vicious campaign of intimidation, sparked the unrest by burning down a church in the southern province of Aswan. This attack was the latest in a series of clashes between Muslims and Christians, which began when 21 worshippers were killed as they left mass at a Coptic church in Alexandria on New Year’s Eve.

Thousands of Copts descended on the state TV building in Cairo on Sunday to protest against what many Christians regard as the growing strength of ultra-conservative Islamists since the overthrow of former Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak in February. But the uncompromising response of the Egyptian authorities, which resulted in government forces firing live rounds at stone-throwing protesters, has prompted accusations that the army, which has interim control of the country, is deliberately fostering sectarian hatred in order to disguise its own plans to maintain control of the country.

Following the high-profile protests in Cairo’s Tahrir Square earlier this year — during which Muslim and Coptic protesters joined forces to demand the overthrow of President Mubarak — the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces assumed responsibility for creating a modern, pluralistic democratic state following decades of authoritarian rule. But the delays that have hindered plans to hold fresh parliamentary and presidential elections — they are now due to start at the end of next month — have led many to conclude that the military, which effectively ran the country during the Mubarak era, has no real interest in establishing democratic institutions. And what better way to abort the transition from military to democratic rule than to instigate nationwide sectarian violence?

As one Coptic protester commented in Cairo yesterday: “This is not about Muslim-Christian hatred. It is about the army trying to start a civil conflict for its own reasons, and we all know what those reasons are.” Certainly the vitriolic language used by state-controlled broadcasters during coverage of the protests undermined the interim government’s claim to represent the interests of all Egyptians, Christians and Muslims alike.Newsreaders appealed for “honest Egyptians” to protect their soldiers against Christian “mobs”, while the Copts were denounced as “sons of dogs”, despite the fact many moderate Muslims, who want Egypt to be free of sectarian divisions, supported the protesters.

But then Egypt’s Copts are used to state-sponsored persecution. Tens of thousands of Copts fled the country in the 1950s after Colonel Gamal Abdul Nasser nationalised Egypt’s private businesses, most of which were owned by Christians. Today it is estimated that two out of three Egyptians living in Britain are from Christian families. Egyptian communities in northern Europe, North America and Australia are also disproportionately Christian. Nor is the persecution of religious minorities in the Middle East confined to Egypt’s Copts. One of the more alarming trends of recent years has been the violent persecution of Christians throughout the region.

In Iraq, for example, the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003 was supposed to herald a new era of sectarian harmony. Instead a wave of al-Qaeda-related attacks has had a devastating impact on Iraq’s once-thriving Christian community, which numbered around 1.4 million 10 years ago, but has now declined to around 400,000. As in Egypt, the exodus was hastened by a series of grotesque attacks on Iraqi churches, the worst of which was the suicide bomb attack on the Church of our Salvation in Baghdad at the end of last year, which killed 58 people. To mark their contempt for the Christian faith, the al-Qaeda bombers blew themselves up on the altar, together with a child hostage.

Not all the persecution of Christian minorities is as violent as that experienced in Iraq, but the refusal of even pro-Western countries such as Saudi Arabia to tolerate any expression of Christianity has forced believers to practise their faith in private. There are an estimated one million Catholics in Saudi Arabia, most of them guest-workers from the Philippines, but they risk immediate expulsion if they are found observing their religion.

In Iran, meanwhile, the persecution of Christians that began with the 1979 Islamic revolution resulted in a Christian pastor being sentenced to death in the provincial town of Rasht earlier this month for refusing to renounce his faith. The ayatollahs’ refusal to countenance any other faith has also resulted in an upsurge in the persecution of the country’s Baha’i sect, the world’s youngest monotheistic faith.

Much of the blame for the deterioration in relations between Islam and Christianity in the region can be laid at the door of the growing legions of Islamist militants who refuse to acknowledge the other main monotheistic faiths. They point to the comment made by the Prophet himself on his deathbed, when he instructed his followers that only one faith — Islam — could be tolerated in Arabia. This interpretation is disputed by moderate Muslims — such as those who joined the Copts for Sunday night’s protest in Cairo — who argue that Islam is a tolerant faith, which allows for peaceful co-existence with other religions. Unfortunately for Christians in the Middle East, this is increasingly the minority view among the region’s ruling elites, which are no longer prepared to recognise basic rights of their citizens, such as freedom of worship.

Arguably the most extreme example of this intolerance has been seen in Sudan, where decades of mistreatment of non-Muslims by the conservative Islamic government in Khartoum resulted earlier this year in the secession of the country’s Christian population to form South Sudan. The new state, which is the size of France but has just 38 miles of paved roads, is the world’s poorest, but simply to be free of the tyranny of their former Islamic rulers is reward enough for the new country’s four million Christian inhabitants. The break-up of neighbouring Sudan will serve as a warning to the military authorities in Cairo, who should be mindful of St Mark’s remark that “Every affliction tests our will”. The current wave of persecution directed at Egypt’s Coptic community constitutes not only a major test of the interim government’s ability to maintain order, but also of its desire to establish a government that represents the interests of all Egyptians, irrespective of their creed.

— Hat tip: JP

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Libya: Islamic Hard-Liners Attack Rival Shrines in Libya

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — Islamic hard-liners have attacked about a half-dozen shrines in and around Tripoli belonging to Muslim sects whose practices they see as sacrilegious, raising religious tensions as Libya struggles to define its identity after Moammar Gadhafi’s ouster.The vandalism has drawn concern at the highest levels as Libya’s new rulers seek to reassure the international community that extremists will not gain influence in the North African nation. Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, head of the governing National Transitional Council, reacted with alarm to reports that graves were being desecrated and appealed to a top Muslim cleric, al-Sadek al-Gheriani, to issue a fatwa, or religious ruling, on the issue. He also called for restraint. “I ask those destroying these mosques to stop doing that because this is not the time to do that,” Abdul-Jalil said Tuesday at a news conference. “What they did is not on the side of the revolution.”

The campaign appears to be aimed mainly at shrines revered by Sufis, a mystical order whose members often pray over the tombs of revered saints and ask for blessings or intervention to bring success, marriage or other desired outcomes. Hard-line Sunnis deem the practice offensive because they consider worshipping over graves to be idolatry.

In one case, witnesses said dozens of armed, bearded men wearing military uniforms ransacked a Sufi shrine in Tripoli this week, burning relics and carrying away the remains of two imams, or prayer leaders, for reburial elsewhere. The assailants arrived in pickup trucks mounted with heavy weapons and stormed the gate to the compound housing the shrine, then dug up the two imams, identified as Abdul-Rahman al-Masri and Salem Abu Seif, and took the remains to be buried in a cemetery, according to the witnesses.

Many residents in the Al-Masri neighborhood welcomed the attack, accusing worshippers at the shrine of practicing “black magic.” Sufism is a mystical tradition in Islam. The order says its mission is to live a simple life of contemplation and prayer but followers are frequently targeted by extremists. Witnesses offered conflicting details, with some saying the attackers were heavily armed and came from other parts of the city and others saying it was a small group of unarmed locals. Abdul-Hamid al-Sunni, one of the residents, said the presence of the bodies had prevented people from the neighborhood from praying there. He claimed it was a small group of some 20 people that exhumed the bodies.

He said residents had long wanted to get rid of the graves and he presented a petition signed by 120 people supporting the action, which began about 11 p.m. Sunday.

Dirt and rocks were piled high around the empty graves that had been dug in the floor of the white and light blue building in Tripoli’s al-Masri neighborhood. Blackened piles of ash and pieces of pottery were in the courtyard outside after the attackers burned relics and other items from the shrine, which sits next to a Quranic school in the same compound.

“We need to build a new school here, a Quranic school, and we need to build a mosque and we need to build a small hospital for the area,” al-Sunni said.

The attackers then jumped back into their vehicles and drove to another neighborhood where they dug up the grave of a man who had built a mosque there and was buried inside.

A shopkeeper in front of the al-Badri mosque who identified himself only as Mohsen said the men used hammers and shovels to exhume the remains, which they planned to bury in a cemetery. Mohsen said about 150 men blocked the roads leading to the compound and bragged about having come from al-Masri and planned to target more mosques. “They shouldn’t have done this because the relatives had already applied to rebury him anyway,” the witness said Wednesday in an interview outside his store, declining to give his full name because of fear of retaliation.

Nader Omrani, who oversees religious affairs for the Tripoli local council, said three or four incidents had been reported in Tripoli and one in the town of Janzour, six miles (10 kilometers) to the west of the capital. “Because of the public condemnation and quick action by this council … this conduct has been contained,” he said Wednesday. Council members said the attacks were under investigation and it was not yet known who carried them out. But observers familiar with the issue blamed Islamic fundamentalists known as Salafists and said talks were under way to persuade them to stop.

One man, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said many Libyans opposed Sufi traditions but did not want them handled violently. Al-Gheriani, who was a key supporter of Libya’s revolution, said in an audio recording posted Monday on his official website that he opposes the building of shrines over graves but he does not sanction their removal, particularly as fighting continues on two fronts, stalling efforts to form a new government. “The country doesn’t have a government with authorities imposed everywhere. Security is not prevalent, it is shaky and there are too many factions,” he said, calling on groups to stop the attacks. “The time is not right. It may cause sedition … and more bloodshed.”

Stephen Schwartz, the executive director of the California-based Center for Islamic Pluralism and a Sufi himself, said the act showed Islamic extremists were starting to make their move. He said the targeting of rival mosques and cemeteries has been used throughout history as a highly symbolic way to assert control. “It illustrates that there’s a void … and … the radicals, the fundamentalists are going to try to fill that void,” he said in a telephone interview. “They’ll go where the opportunity is, where Muslims are divided and authority is weakened.”

— Hat tip: JP

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50 Thousand Settlers Will Desecrate the Ibarahimi Mosque

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) — The Israeli occupation forces are preparing for the protection of tens of thousands of Jewish settlers expected to head to the Ibrahimi Mosque during the Sukkot Jewish festival over the coming few days. Israel National News said on Wednesday that the IOF deployed soldiers inside the city of al-Khalil with the aim of protecting 50 thousand Jews expected to visit the city during Sukkot festival. The source added that as well as visiting the “Cave of the Patriarchs”, the name given to the Ibrahimi Mosque by Jews, the crowds aim to tour the city and visit the Qasaba and what they claim to be the tomb of Otni’el Ben Kenaz. According to a military statement, hundreds of troops will be deployed in the southern West Bank city and control the traffic and pedestrian flow through the streets. Roadblocks have already been setup and military police and medical teams have also been reinforced. The statement also said that there are fears that clashes between the settlers and the Palestinian residents of the city might take place and expect casualties in large numbers if such clashes occur. The statement further said that the numbers expected to head to the Ibrahimi Mosque will exceed last year’s numbers by a few thousand.

— Hat tip: JP

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Caroline Glick: A Pact Signed in Jewish Blood

No one denies the long suffering of the Schalit family. Noam and Aviva Schalit and their relatives have endured five years and four months of uninterrupted anguish since their son St.-Sgt. Gilad Schalit was abducted from his army post by Palestinian terrorists and spirited to Gaza in June 2006. Since then, aside from one letter and one videotaped message, they have received no signs of life from their soldier son.

There is not a Jewish household in Israel that doesn’t empathize with their suffering. It isn’t simply that most Israelis serve in the IDF and expect their children to serve in the IDF.

It isn’t just that it could happen to any of our families…

— Hat tip: Caroline Glick

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In Jordan, Escalation in Anti-Israel Rhetoric, Threats

In recent weeks, Jordanian officials, including Jordan’s King ‘Abdallah II, have stepped up their statements against Israel, to the point of threatening military aggression against it. This escalation was in response to statements by Israeli officials describing Jordan as the Palestinian homeland. Also contributing to the tension were WikiLeaks documents published in September, which revealed that Jordan had talked with the U.S. about settling Palestinian refugees on its soil and had inquired about reparations that it had been promised. It should be noted that the notion of Jordan as the “alternative” Palestinian homeland is a highly sensitive issue in the kingdom, and a great source of concern for the Hashemite regime that represents a minority in the country.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Tunnels Boost Gaza Mosque Construction

An increased flow of building materials entering the Gaza Strip via underground tunnels along the Gaza-Egypt border has allowed reconstruction work to begin on hundreds of religious sites damaged or destroyed during the 23-day Israeli offensive which ended in January 2009. Nearly a quarter of Gaza’s 850 mosques were affected; 45 mosques were totally destroyed, 107 sustained major damage, and about another 50 had minor damage such as smashed windows and doors, according to the Gaza public works and housing ministry, the religious affairs ministry, and private mosque owners.

An Egyptian above-and-below-ground steel barrier erected with US assistance was meant to stem the flow of goods through the tunnels, but since the overthrow of Mubarak in Egypt in February 2011, if anything, traffic through the tunnels has increased, say observers. Israel only allows building material to enter Gaza via Israeli-controlled crossings for approved projects funded by international organizations and UN agencies. According to UN estimates, in September 946 truckloads of authorized construction materials were allowed to enter Gaza via Israeli-controlled crossings for approved international humanitarian building projects: 665 truckloads (46,550 tons) of aggregate, 232 truckloads of cement (9,195 tons), and 41 truckloads of steel bars (1,418 tons).

An average of 90,000 tons of cement, 90,000 tons of aggregate and 15,000 tons of steel bars are entering Gaza via tunnel each month, according to UN estimates. The quantities of material now becoming available mean prices are going down: Today one ton of cement costs about US$135 in Gaza, down from up to $340 per ton in January, according to deputy housing minister Yasser Shante. “Business has increased over the last three months,” says Arafat Abu Hasira, owner of Abu Hasira Glass and Aluminum Company in Gaza City. Aluminium, only available via tunnel, costs about $6 per kg, down from about $135 a year ago, said Abu Hasira.

Israel says the mosques were used by Hamas to store weapons and that Hamas operatives regularly fired rockets into Israel from within or near mosques, but Hamas disputes this.

“Religious sites are separate from any activity related to security forces or resistance factions,” said deputy minister of religious affairs, Hassam Seifi, adding: “Our communities lost a lot with the destruction of each mosque.”

“Gaza is a religious society and mosques are the centre of our communities,” said religious affairs ministry official Abdullah Abugrboah, adding: “Gaza’s population is 99 percent Muslim [predominantly Sunni], with a Christian population of less than 1 percent.” It will cost about US$25 million to reconstruct the 45 mosques (an average $500,000 per mosque), said Shante, and about $10million to repair the 157 damaged mosques, at an average cost of US$100,000. “It is motivating to see new mosques. It’s a source of peace after the war,” said worshiper Mohamed Samara, a 30-year-old researcher at a nearby ministry who came to pray during his lunch break.

Three mosques in his neighborhood of Shujaya were destroyed during the war; one has been partially rebuilt, he said, adding: “A mosque is not only a place of worship, it’s our social fabric, where Palestinians meet.” Mosques are supervised by the religious affairs ministry (Waqf), in accordance with Islamic law. The ministry is under the Hamas-led government in Gaza, which is still deemed a “terrorist” organization by many Western countries.

According to international humanitarian law, there is no ban on the destruction of religious sites used by opponents for military purposes, said Yuval Shany, chair in public international law at Hebrew University, although there is a presumption that religious sites are civilian targets and should be spared (according to Article 52 of the 1977 First Additional Protocol, which reflects customary law on the matter). The Israeli army maintains that its forces operated in accordance with international law, only launching proportionate attacks against military objectives, and blames Hamas for any harm to Palestinian civilians. According to the Goldstone Report, an Israeli strike on the al-Maqadmah mosque on the outskirts of Jabilyah killed 15 and injured 40 people. Israel rejected the findings of the report and denies responsibility for the attack on al-Maqadmah mosque. Amnesty International reported the rampant destruction of Gaza mosques in its post-war assessment.

— Hat tip: JP

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Cyprus: Turkish Ship to Go on Researches in Mediterranean

(ANSAmed) — NICOSIA, OCTOBER 12 — A Turkish ship set sail on Wednesday from Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to go on seismic researches in the south of Cyprus, as Turkish-Cypriot media report. Turkish ‘Piri Reis’ ship left Famagusta port to carry out seismic researches in a 2,400-kilometer area in the Mediterranean. “We have collected data from 1,000-km area so far,” Piri Reis’ captain Cagdas Konusur told journalists. Piri Reis conducted geophysical research and seismic data collecting studies on behalf of the TRNC between September 26 and October 4. On September 21, Turkish Premier Tayyip Erdogan and Dervis Eroglu, leader of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC, recognized only by Ankara) signed in New York an agreement on the delineation of the continental shelf between two countries in the East Mediterranean. The deal gives Turkey the green light to search oil and natural gas inside the Turkish Cypriot waters. The agreement follows a Greek Cypriot move to start offshore drilling for natural gas and oil in the southeast of the Eastern Mediterranean island.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Iran Proposes Tripartite Economic Cooperation Involving Egypt, Iran and Turkey

Egypt’s minister of industry and external trade Mahmoud Issa said that his Iranian counterpart has proposed a tripartite cooperation between his country and Egypt and Turkey to exploit the human and economic resources available to them. The Egyptian minister confirmed his country’s desire to strengthen the economic cooperation with Iran.

In making the proposal, the Iranian minister of trade, industry and mining said that a start should be made by Egypt by changing its foreign policy toward the neighboring countries after the January 25 revolution.

The discussion between the two took place during a meeting of the D8 which comprises the eight emerging Islamic countries that include Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Malaysia. The D8 is an attempt to create an Islamic economic order parallel with that of the G8 countries [US, Canada, Japan, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Russia].

In this connection, it was reported that Turkey plans to organize a workshop from December 3-6, for 2,000 businessmen under the auspices of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Islam is Compatible With Democracy, Says Journalist

In his new book “Islam Without Extremes,” Turkish journalist Mustafa Akyol expresses his belief that the path to a democratic Middle East lies not in anti-clerical secularism but in the essentially moderate nature of Islam. Speaking before the Discovery Institute, a public policy think tank, on Friday, Akyol said that the “noble message” of the Quran is one that supports religious freedom. “[There are] sources of liberalism, in a classical sense, in classical Islam,” said Akyol.

Akyol, who writes in English and Turkish, is a columnist for two different Turkish newspapers who draws a sharp distinction between “pious Muslims” and “crazy radicals,” comparing ultra-conservative Muslims to biblical Pharisees. “[They have] more passion to impose who they are rather than a genuine religious connection…[They are] losing the meaning of religion to appear pious. The majority of Muslims in the world are just concerned with putting bread on the table,” Akyol said.

According to Akyol, coercive measures do not create a genuinely pious society. The extreme aspects of Islam, like the apostasy laws in Iran, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia that make renouncing Islam punishable by death, are not endemic to Islam or Muslim theology, but are the result of political manipulation. He gave the example of an early debate in Islam over free will, in which predestination was made a policy of the state to solidify state power. Much of what has become Islamic law is holdover from medieval scholars attributing words to Muhammad, often to serve contemporary ends.

“One reason why most Muslims respect Islamic law is that it has protected the rights of the individual from the tyranny of despots,” said Mark Sheel, reporting for the Common Ground News Service in his article “New Book Breaks Down Muslim ‘Monolith.’“ “Throughout the 20th century, Turkey and other Middle Eastern countries were offered a choice between secular and religious authoritarianism,” said Mathew Kaminski, reporter for the Wall Street Journal in his article “Piety and Pluralism.”

Akyol equates the repression of “Islamic autocrats” with “secular autocrats.” The forceful imposition of secular changes, like those imposed in Iran under the notoriously violent Shah, “has made Muslims more reactionary,” Akyol said. So when faced between the two forms of authoritarianism mentioned by Kaminski, it is not so hard to see why Muslims might prefer religious authoritarianism. “We have apostasy laws in Turkey, too. Not against renunciation of Islam, but against slander of the secularist first President of the Republic Atatürk. Atatürk merely brought new sacred objects,” Akyol said.

For Akyol, a secular state, in the sense of one that tolerates all religions, is good, while secularism is not. Despite the complexities of the issue, the young journalist is optimistic.

“The Arab Spring is taking us to a new phase where the democratically-minded can enter government…The trend [in the Muslim world] is not toward radicalism. Iran will be left as the only crazy country in the Middle East,” Akyol said. Akyol’s vision for the Middle East is a blend of two forces he sees as naturally encouraging individual freedom, though they are often called antagonistic: liberal democracy and Islam.

— Hat tip: JP

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Nobel Peace Panel Stands Behind Muslim Brotherhood Winner

The chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize committee has dismissed concerns that one of this year’s three recipients, Tawakkul Karman of Yemen, represents a party directly linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. Thorbojern Jagland told reporters in Oslo this weekend that he disagrees with the “perception” widespread in the West that the Brotherhood is a threat to democracy. “There are many signals that that kind of movement can be an important part of the solution,” he said. “We have included the Arab Spring in this prize, but we have put it in a particular context.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Oman: First Opera House in Gulf Region Opens

(ANSAmed) — ROME, OCTOBER 13 — In Muscat, Sultan Qabus bin Said of Oman inaugurated the first opera house in the entire Gulf Region with Puccini’s Turandot directed by Franco Zeffirelli and with Placido Domingo performing. Oman’s opera house represents the realisation of a personal dream for Qabus, according to Al Arabiya’s website, as he is a great admirer of classical music as well as an architectural work that unites Islamic culture to global music. The opening of the Oman Opera House is “an historic event”, according to the director of the theatre and Minister of Higher Education, Rawia Al Busaidia. The opera season began yesterday with Turandot and will come to a close at the end of March. The opera house, underlined Al Busaidia, will host global musical events that have never been presented in the region. The theatre will host Placido Domingo again on October 18 in a concert entitled “Songs for Oman”, followed by a performance by Andrea Bocelli on November 1. The first season is packed with events which include many operas, as well as concerts dedicated to Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum and Lebanese singer Majida Al-Roumi.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Report: Iran Attempt to Launch Monkey Into Space Fails

An attempt by Iran to launch a rocket carrying a live monkey into space in September has met with failure, stalling the country’s program to pursue a human spaceflight capability, according to press reports. The Iranian Space Agency reportedly attempted to launch a Rhesus monkey into space atop a Kavoshgar-5 rocket (Kavoshgar means “Explorer” in Farsi) during the Iranian month of Shahrivar, a period that ran between Aug. 23 and Sept. 22, according to an Agence-France Press report.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Tourism: Turkey Ready to Help Greece, Minister Says

(ANSAmed) — ATHENS, OCTOBER 13 — Turkey’s culture and tourism minister Ertugrul Gunay said on Wednesday that Turkey was ready to extend touristic assistance to Greece, which was in an economic bottleneck, without expecting any response. “The Aegean Sea will be a destination which would like to be visited the most in the world if Turkey and Greece cooperate in tourism,” Gunay told reporters in Athens, as Anatolia news agency reports. Gunay is visiting the Greek capital for the Eighth Turkish-Greek Tourism Forum. Gunay said Turkey and Greece should facilitate travel and simplify visa procedures, and Turkey was expecting such a move from Greece. Gunay later spoke in the opening session of the forum, and said improvement of Turkish-Greek cooperation would not only be for the best interests of the two countries but also bring the two nations closer to each other. The Turkish tourism minister said two countries should hold such meetings more often, and recalled that the previous meeting was in the southern province of Antalya in 2006. Also speaking in the meeting, Greek Minister of Culture and Tourism Pavlos Geroulanos welcomed Gunay’s proposal to meet more often, and improvement of cooperation in tourism would have positive effect on Turkish and Greek economies.

Geroulanos said two countries could achieve many things together, and Greece would work to facilitate Schengen visa procedures for Turkey.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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UAE: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center Launches Series of Workshops for Licensed Tourist Guides About Visiting Regulations

Workshops’ objective is to improve understanding of visiting procedures, requirements among private sector tourism organisations to ensure improved visitor experience to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

ABU DHABI — The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center (SZGMC) on Monday, 10th of October, conducted the first of a series of workshops for licensed tourist guides and tour operators on visiting regulations for the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Approximately 400 representatives, from different tourism companies across the UAE registered for the workshop series and approximately one hundred attended yesterday’s inaugural session. The overall objective of the workshops is to improve understanding of the visiting procedures and requirements among the private sector tourism organisations to ensure an improved visitor experience.

The SZGMC Culture Guides facilitated the program which included a full site tour and introduction to the dedicated on-site library. The participants were briefed about SZGMC code of conduct and given guidelines on how to organize a professional site visit inside the SZGM. The program also included knowledge sessions plus a documentary highlighting the building materials and phases of construction. After completing the registration and workshop process, the licensed tourist guides will receive a SZGMC site pass to conduct a site visit at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, as part of the Abu Dhabi City Tour. Registration is ongoing for licensed tourist guides and details can be found at www.szgmc.ae

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a place of worship and Friday gathering; and a center of learning and discovery through its education and visitor programs. As one of the most visited and important Islamic cultural attractions the UAE, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque plays an important role in the ‘cultural and educational tourism offering’ of the United Arab Emirates. The SZGMC has a team of dedicated National Culture Guides to offer complimentary tours on a daily basis. For more information http://www.szgmc.ae/en/plan-your-visit

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center, which is affiliated to the Ministry of Presidential Affairs is sponsored and followed up by His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.

The SZGMC was established to be a nucleus for a cultural and intellectual movement focused on the Mosque. This is based on the cultural and national values expressed in the concepts and values established by late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God bless his soul. It is these values that are deep-rooted in sentiment and consciousness, and form an extension of the national identity inspired from the teachings of our tolerant religion.

— Hat tip: JP

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‘Cheese’ Attack on Lenin Statue Foiled

Three young people in the Far East city of Nakhodka have been detained for allegedly painting part of a Lenin statue to resemble a block of cheese, Interfax reported on Wednesday, citing local police. The painters, all in their 20s, said they wanted to amuse local residents by repainting the pedestal under the statue of a seated Lenin staring thoughtfully into space and holding a copy of Pravda. They were apprehended, paint cans allegedly in hand, before they were able to finish the job. “Such pranks involving statues are unacceptable,” a police spokesman said, adding that the vandals would be brought to justice. Pranks involving statues of Lenin, which are ubiquitous in provincial Russia, have been common since the fall of the Soviet Union.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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For Moscow Patriarch, Arab Uprisings Are Ambiguous, Europe Not to be Perceived as Aggressor

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church warns that Arabs should not perceive Europe as an invader. In the Middle East, the “interreligious factor” should be avoided “because this all can backfire very painfully” in Europe. He calls on the world to protect the Copts of Egypt.

Moscow (AsiaNews) — It is important that the situation in the Middle East and North Africa not be perceived as a confessional clash between Christians and Muslims and that Europe not be seen as an aggressor in the Arab world, warns Kirill, patriarch of Moscow an All Russia. In an interview with the Russian news TV channel Rossiya-24 in Chisinau, he said that it was not wholly clear how much the uprisings from Libya to Syria were the “spontaneous and natural” expression of people’s will.

“It is absolutely unacceptable if Europe is perceived as an aggressor in the Arab world’s eyes. This must be prevented by any means, because, although Europe today is, excuse me, godless and secular and does not associate itself too much with Christianity, the deeply religious Islamic population still sees Europe as Christians,” Kirill said.

“At the market and street level, many see Europe’s engagement in the problems of the Arab world—not only political but also military—as some combat between Christians and Muslims,” he noted. Thus, it is important to prevent “an inter-religious and inter-civilisational factor, because this all can backfire very painfully in the globalizing world, and not only in the Middle East, but also in European counties.”

Sharing the Kremlin’s point of view, Kirill expressed concerns about the difficulty in understanding the uprising that brought down various regimes in the Muslim world. No one, “neither you, nor me or the international community understand clearly what share in everything that is going on there today belongs to the people’s initiative and what share is a result—let’s choose the mildest wording possible—of assistance to this process from abroad,” he said.

In the interview, the patriarch made a plea to the United Nations and international organisations to protect Christian Copts in Egypt, following last Sunday’s clashes, saying that “Christians must raise their voice in defence of their Coptic brothers”, asking the world “not to be indifferent”.

In a direct appeal to religious leaders, he said that on such occasions, which threaten the future of Muslim-Christian dialogue, they must show a “commitment to peace and mutual understanding”.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Indonesia: HSBC Offers Haj Pilgrimage Banking Services

JAKARTA: HSBC’s sharia division, Amanah Syariah, is teaming up with the global bank’s Saudi Arabia-based branch Saudi British Bank (SABB) to offer haj and umroh (minor haj) pilgrimage banking services for both individuals and travel bureaus. “We help individual customers from haj fund planning to support during their stay in Saudi Arabia, including cash withdrawal in Saudi Arabian riyal at all SABB ATMs without extra charge,” HSBC Amanah Syariah Indonesia head Herwin Bustaman said in a press release on Wednesday.

In total, 109 SABB ATMs offer cash withdrawals in Mecca, Madina and Jeddah, with strategic locations near the Masjidil Haram grand mosque and Nabawi mosque, including Hilton Hotel in Mecca and Oberoi Hotel in Madina. HSBC also offers Global Safety Net, a service in which the bank provides support of up to US$100,000 to customers who have lost their money or their ATM cards during their stay. The corporate service includes the opening of Amanah Business Account, the issuance of a bank guarantee to apply for visas for pilgrims and demand draft, a facility to cash a large amount of money in one day at all SABB branches.

— Hat tip: JP

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Indonesia: MUI Tells Jakarta to Sell Brewery Shares

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has strongly urged the Jakarta administration to sell its shares in a publicly listed brewery, saying that the government could be seen as a promoter of alcohol, considered haram or forbidden under sharia. A member of the MUI review commission, Cholil Nafis, said the city administration should not allow profit to get in the way of producing a better policy for Jakarta residents. “Clearly, alcohol is not good to consume and the city administration is certainly not playing a role in educating the people by supporting a brewery,” Cholil told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. He said that money from alcohol was of no benefit to Jakarta residents. “It’s better for the city to invest in a nobler business,” he said.

The Jakarta administration announced on Tuesday that it had decided not sell its shares in brewery PT Delta Djakarta (Delta), despite an initial plan to do so. “We have yet to see any strong reason to get out of Delta and divest. The company caters to a very specific business niche and it has contributed a fair amount of money to city revenue,” Jakarta Investment and Promotions Board (BPMP) head Terman Siregar said.

In 2006, Governor Fauzi Bowo, then deputy governor, said it would be better for the city to sell its shares in Delta and use the money to build public health centers and repair damaged school buildings. In 2008, the city government begun muling whether to sell its shares in Delta, and in other companies, saying that it would invest only in businesses that served the public directly. Selling its shares was also aimed at preventing annual losses caused by share devaluation. Terman said that Delta raked in Rp 39.93 billion (US$4.47 million) in 2009 and Rp 44.14 billion last year.

The city owns 26.3 percent of Delta. The company lists San Miguel Malaysia (L) Private Limited as a major shareholder alongside the city government on it website, www.deltajkt.co.id. Delta is a brewer and distributor of well-known beer brands such as Anker, Carlsberg and San Miguel. Since its founding in 1932 by German firm Archipel Brouwerij NV, Delta’s ownership has changed hands many times. During World War II, control of the company was turned over to a Dutch firm before being passed to a Japanese company in 1942. A few years later, the Dutch regained control of the company. In 1970, the Jakarta administration acquired a number of shares in the company and changed the company’s name to PT Delta Djakarta during the tenure of Jakarta’s most controversial governor, Ali Sadikin.

— Hat tip: JP

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Malaysia: German Pre-Schoolers Visit Mosque

KUALA LUMPUR (Ahlul Bayt News Agency) — Forty pre-schoolers from the German School Kuala Lumpur (DSKL), supervised by seven teachers, recently visited the Wilayah Persekutuan mosque in Jalan Duta. The children, aged between two to four years, were first separated into two groups, with two volunteers overseeing each group. They were then showed how to take ablution (wudhu), which is required before prayer. The one-hour tour then proceeded to the main prayer hall where they were showed how the Muslims perform their prayers. There were many questions posed by the children to the volunteers. Later, the children and their teachers visited the library, kindergarten and religious school located within the mosque compound. One of the schoolteachers, Silvia Uchtmann, said the visit was part of the kindergarten’s co-curriculum. “We want the children to learn about the cultures in Malaysia, the country that they are currently living in,” she said. “For this visit, it is hoped that they will have better understanding about other religions.” One of the tour volunteers, Hasliza Ahmad, added that such a tour was meant to share the information on Islam to all visitors regardless of their religion or nationality. “It is good to see that even though they are still young, they love to ask questions throughout the tour,” she said.

— Hat tip: JP

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Darebin Council to Tackle Ramadan Traffic Issues Using Anti-Terror Funds

A $100,000 taxpayer-funded grant aimed at countering violent extremism among Muslims will be used to help deal with traffic issues during the religious festival of Ramadan.

Darebin Council will use the federal cash to appoint a Muslim outreach officer in a bid to ease tensions between people attending the Preston mosque and local residents.

Each year the council receives complaints about parking and noise during the month-long festival despite efforts to manage the influx of worshippers. But a council review of parking during Ramadan has revealed that a $100,000 grant from the federal Attorney-General’s Department will be used to hire an outreach officer to address the complaints. According to a department media release, the grant is part of a program aimed at building resilience to violent extremism in ethnic and religious communities.

Darebin group manager people and performance, Fred Warner, said yesterday that the council had been given the money to build community relationships and promote social inclusion. “The project officer will facilitate the mosque community’s engagement with the wider community and will help non-Muslims in Darebin understand more about their Muslim neighbours,” he said. Mr Warner said that the Cramer St mosque had one of the biggest congregations in Australia and the officer would focus on the neighbouring community.

However, Ratepayers Victoria president Jack Davis said the council should just deal directly with the traffic and noise issues during Ramadan. “We’re better off funding programs that benefit the whole community as one rather than individual groups,” he said. Australian Multicultural Foundation executive director Hass Dellal said the federal grants helped preserve social cohesion.

— Hat tip: JP

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Oldest Artist’s Workshop in the World Discovered

Grind up some ochre, melt some bone-marrow fat, mix the lot with a splash of urine — and paint your body with it. It sounds like an avant-garde performance but it may have happened some 100,000 years ago, in the oldest known artist’s workshop — a cave in South Africa. The complex pigments that humans mixed there, and the tools they used to do it, are revealing just how cunning some of our earliest ancestors were.

The purpose of the paint is unknown, but the researchers who discovered the workshop at the Blombos cave on South Africa’s southern coast think it was most likely applied to skin for decoration or ritual, or perhaps even as an insect repellent.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Oldest Human Paint-Making Studio Discovered in Cave

A group of Home sapiens came across a picturesque cave on the coast of South Africa around 100,000 years ago. They unloaded their gear and set to work, grinding iron-rich dirt and mixing it gently with heated bone in abalone shells to create a red, paint-like mixture. Then they dipped a thin bone into the mixture to transfer it somewhere before leaving the cave — and their toolkits — behind.

Researchers now have uncovered those paint-making kits, sitting in the cave in a layer of dune sand, just where they had been left 100,000 years ago. The find is the oldest-known example of a human-made compound mixture, said study researcher Christopher Henshilwood, an archaeologist at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. It’s also the first known example of the use of a container anywhere in the world, 40,000 years older than the next example, Henshilwood told LiveScience.

“To me, it’s an important indicator of how technologically advanced people were 100,000 years ago,” Henshilwood said. “If this was a paint, it also indicates the likelihood that people were using substances in a symbolic way 100,000 years ago.”

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Spanish Aid Workers Kidnapped on Kenya-Somali Border

Two Spanish doctors working for the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) were kidnapped at gunpoint near Kenya’s border with Somalia today.

The two women were seized from the Dadaab refugee camp (pictured), about 80km from the Somali border, which houses about 450,000 refugees fleeing famine in the Horn of Africa.

In recent weeks, two other foreign women — one English, the other French — have been kidnapped near the border.

Kenyan police confirmed that they were pursuing the kidnappers towards the Somali border by road and by air. They say the border has been sealed. According to MSF, the doctors’ Kenyan driver was wounded by the kidnappers and is now in hospital.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Amnesty Slams Dutch Asylum System

Asylum seekers in the Netherlands are kept in detention too often, for too long and under unnecessarily severe conditions, says a report from Amnesty International. The refugees are kept in custody while their asylum claims are processed. At the end of 2010, a majority in the Lower House called on the government to look into alternatives to the present rigorous system of detention for asylum seekers. It was said alternatives would be both cheaper and less severe than the present regime.

Amnesty accuses Immigration Minister Gerd Leers of not making enough of an effort to come up with viable alternatives. The organisation has done its own research into systems other than that used by the Dutch government. Better than in the Netherlands Dutch Amnesty director Eduard Nazarski says no one country has the answer to the problem but that “there are definitely countries where certain elements are far better than in the Netherlands”. He points to the more flexible asylum detention regimes in Sweden, Australia and Great Britain. In Sweden, for instance, most asylum seekers are allowed to live with relatives or in open centres with bedrooms rather than cells. This means Sweden needs only 245 asylum detention places compared with 2,280 in the Netherlands.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Shaping Perceptions and Attitudes to Realise the Diversity Advantage (SPARDA)

A European Union / Council of Europe Joint Programme (January 2011 — June 2012)

Context

Shaping perceptions and attitudes to realise the diversity advantage (SPARDA), a joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Union, builds upon previous work of the Council of Europe in the field of integration and intercultural dialogue, in particular the White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue, the Intercultural cities EU / CoE joint action and the Speak out against discrimination Campaign.

Successful integration of migrants depends strongly on the perceptions of the host community of migrants and ethno-cultural diversity. Such perceptions are a product of a complex web of factors and circumstances but to a certain extent they can be influenced by the way opinion leaders, in particular political leaders and media, address such issues. While many cities and organisations around Europe make significant effort to shape public perceptions of migration and diversity in a balanced way, here is a lack of systematic evidence of the impact of such actions; neither there is a comprehensive assessment of communication and awareness strategies which deliver best results.

Objectives

To generate evidence to support the postulate that negative perceptions and attitudes towards migrants/diversity are not a fatality and that cities can put in place successful communication strategies to manage attitudes in a positive way.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Guest Post: My hope for #occupy wall wtreet

By now, I’m sure most of you have heard about Occupy Wall Street. Inspired by Adbuster’s call for action in July, protesters have occupied Zuccotti Park near Wall Street in New York City since September 17th. I’ve covered the story since the beginning, and am in full support of its stated goals. But I want to talk for a minute here about my hopes for the future of the protest, and in particular the importance of its continued radical inclusivity.

Occupy Wall Street’s General Assembly operates under a revolutionary “progressive stack.” A normal “stack” means those who wish to speak get in line. A progressive stack encourages women and traditionally marginalized groups speak before men, especially white men. This is something that has been in place since the beginning, it is necessary, and it is important.

“Step up, step back” was a common phrase of the first week, encouraging white men to acknowledge the privilege they have lived in their entire lives and to step back from continually speaking. This progressive stack has been inspiring and mind-boggling in its effectiveness.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Children Like Teamwork More Than Chimps Do

Chimpanzees and humans are fairly close cousins, evolutionarily speaking. But a new study finds they lack something that we have (besides written language and hairlessness): a desire to work together.

When all other things are equal, 3-year-old children prefer to do a task collaboratively rather than alone, while chimpanzees show no such preference, said study researcher Yvonne Rekers, a cognitive scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany.

“We expected that difference between human and chimpanzee cooperation, because we can see it nowadays,” Rekers told LiveScience. “Humans collaborate in a larger variety of contexts and in more complex forms.”

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Missions Proposed to Explore Mysterious Tilted Planet Uranus

Earlier this year, the Planetary Science Decadal Survey recommended that NASA consider sending a mission to the planet Uranus. With all the attention paid to Mars, Jupiter and even poor little Pluto, what’s the draw in going to Uranus? Lots, says Mark Hofstadter of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. “Uranus is a type of a planet that we know very little about,” Hofstadter said. “Thirty years ago, we thought Uranus and Neptune were just smaller versions of Jupiter and Saturn.” We now know, however, that the two outermost planets in our solar neighborhood are not gas giants filled with hydrogen and helium gas, but rather “ice giants” containing a large mixture of water, methane, ammonia and carbon dioxide. Current tallies of exoplanets suggest that ice giants are more common in our galaxy than the larger gas giants.

“We’d like to study our local examples of this common type of planet,” Hofstadter said. If you had to pick one, Uranus is probably the better destination than Neptune. It challenges scientific models with its unique rotation and puzzling internal structure. Moreover, planet number seven is easier to get to than planet number eight. Hofstadter is one of a group of scientists exploring the potential of sending an orbiter to Uranus. One particular proposal, called Uranus Pathfinder, was recently considered by the European Space Agency (ESA). “Both the European and American sides are convinced that an orbiter is needed rather than a flyby,” said Chris Arridge of University College, London, principal investigator of Uranus Pathfinder. “But then costs rear their ugly head.”

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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Perfect Fossil Could be Most Complete Dinosaur Ever

Dinosaur fossils don’t come much more impressive than this. With 98 per cent of its skeleton preserved, this young predatory theropod from southern Germany may be the most complete dinosaur ever found. Oliver Rauhut, curator of the Bavarian State Collection for Palaeontology and Geology in Munich, announced the find yesterday. Although Chinese bird and dinosaur fossils are famed for delicate details such as their feathers, they don’t match this 72-centimetre-long theropod in terms of clarity and completeness of preservation. The young dinosaur has been dated at 135 million years old, putting it in the early Cretaceous, but it has yet to be named and described formally. It will go on show to the public at the Munich Mineral show, which starts on 27 October.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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UN Warns Hunger is Rising Amid Major Price Swings

The United Nations say massive fluctuations in the price of food have heightened the hunger crisis in developing countries, particularly in Africa. The latest UN report shows that the situation is getting worse.

— Hat tip: Fjordman

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	Financial Crisis
»	Chrysler Saviour Fiat Now Depends on US Carmaker
»	Debt Crisis: Billions for Banks
»	Parliament Votes No: EU Pins Hopes on Second Slovak Vote This Week
»	Slovak Government Collapses Over Euro-Bailout Fund
»	Troika Believes in Potemkin Villages
	USA
»	Congress Passes 3 Free Trade Accords
»	Frank Gaffney: “Horatius Wolf”: Rep. Frank Wolf Takes on Grover Norquist
»	Lech Walesa, Former Polish President, To Visit New York in Support of Occupy Wall Street
»	Nigerian Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Blow Up Plane
	Canada
»	Amnesty International Asks Canada to Arrest George W. Bush
	Europe and the EU
»	Belgium is Dead: Long Live Belgium!
»	Breivik’s Suppliers Investigated
»	EU: 70% of European Energy Transits Turkey, Minister
»	Germany: Sliding Towards Terrorism
»	Norway: Gunman’s Father Admits Breivik Was Abandoned
»	One in Three Norwegians on Benefits
»	Poland Nabs 19 Linked to Norway Killer
»	Romania: Panic in Giurgiu City
»	Switzerland: Dog Lover Loved Dog Far Too Much: Court
	Balkans
»	Brussels Halts Albania’s Bid for E.U. Membership
	North Africa
»	Egypt: No Arab Spring Without Religious Freedom, Says Italian Lawmaker
»	Egypt: Coptic Bishop Says 25 Died Due to “False Reports”
»	Pope Calls for Respect for the Rights of All in Egypt, Especially Minorities
»	Smuggled Libyan Weapons Flood Into Egypt
	Middle East
»	Qatar: Camel Milk an Alternative for Children Allergic to Cow Milk
»	Saudi Arabia: UN ‘Deeply Distressed’ About Migrant Executions
	South Asia
»	Pakistan: Christian Girl, 12, Kidnapped, Beaten Until She Converted to Islam and Raped for Eight Months
	Australia — Pacific
»	Climate Change Carbon Tax Bill Passes
»	Climate Change: Gallery Disrupts Gillard
	Sub-Saharan Africa
»	Where Child Sacrifice is a Business
	Immigration
»	France to Immigrants: You Must Learn French

Chrysler Saviour Fiat Now Depends on US Carmaker

Turin, 11 Oct. (AKI/Bloomberg) — Sergio Marchionne had what he called a “once in a lifetime” moment in 2009 when president Barack Obama selected Fiat to save Chrysler. The head of both automakers may be having flashbacks as the tables turn.

The previously bankrupt US company, which became majority owned by Fiat this year, is now shoring up its Turin, Italy- based parent, as the European debt crisis depresses sales. Chrysler is due to outpace Fiat’s operating profit by 87 percent in the second half and the gap will likely continue in 2012, according to a Bloomberg News survey of analysts.

“Fiat would be very vulnerable now without Chrysler, with few industrial and financial options on its hands,” said Emanuele Vizzini, chief investment officer at Investitori Sgr in Milan who sold Fiat shares in August.

While the revitalization of Chrysler offers Fiat a cushion for Italy’s downturn, Marchionne’s turnaround of the Auburn Hills, Michigan-based company has deepened the company’s woes in Europe. With the US unit hogging development and management resources, Fiat has been left with aging models and eroding market share, putting Italy’s largest manufacturer at the mercy of historically volatile Chrysler earnings.

“Long-term, neither Fiat nor Chrysler would have made it on their own,” Marchionne said on 7 October in Montreal. “Fiat was too small and too handicapped by an inadequate business model in Europe to have any hope of a future.”

Chrysler may post earnings before interest, taxes and one- time items, of 864 million euros in the second half of 2011, compared with 462 million euros from Fiat’s traditional operations, including profit from the Ferrari and Maserati brands, according to the average estimates of six analysts. Trading profit for the US automaker, which was consolidated into Fiat results from June, may reach 1.91 billion euros next year, 77 percent more than Fiat’s 1.08 billion euros.

The turnaround at Chrysler hasn’t helped Marchionne win over investors to his plan to create a global auto group to rival Volkswagen AG. The shares have fallen 40 percent in the last three months, the second-worst performer in the Bloomberg European autos index after France’s PSA Peugeot Citroen.

“If Fiat is depending upon Chrysler, that’s a bad bet because Chrysler is still a question mark,” said Gerald Meyers, a business professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “It will be two to three years before we know whether Chrysler is going to even be successful, much less sustainable.”

Chrysler, under three different owners during the span of four years, recorded net losses totaling $34 billion from 2006 through 2010, according to the automaker’s filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Sales of the third-largest U.S. automaker fell 48 percent to 1.1 million vehicles last year from 2.1 million in 2005.

Moody’s downgraded Fiat to two notches below investment grade last month on concern about the financial stability of the combination with Chrysler. The rating company also cited infrequent model renewals in Europe and increasing competition in Brazil, where Fiat is profitable.

Marchionne, who acknowledged in an April interview that he neglected European operations in favor of a US turnaround, postponed the launch of new Fiat models when the 2008 financial crisis hit the car market and is doing the same again.

Aside from a rebadged version of the Dodge Journey, the overhauled Panda subcompact, which was unveiled last month, was the first all-new model for the Fiat brand since the retro- styled 500 in 2007. In the US, 75 percent of Chrysler’s lineup has been updated since the executive took control in June 2009.

That product strategy has resulted in Fiat’s European market share shrinking to 7.3 percent through August from 8.2 percent a year earlier as deliveries tumbled 13 percent, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. Chrysler’s US sales gained 23 percent through September, beating the industry’s 10 percent growth rate, according to researcher Autodata Corp.

The Italian carmaker has said it aims to claw back market share with new models, including a rebadged Chrysler 300 and Dodge Journey and the new Panda and Lancia Y subcompacts.

Fiat, which expects to increase its holding in Chrysler by 5 percentage points to 58.5 percent by the end this year, is pushing back the production of new vehicles, including a Jeep, at its Mirafiori plant in Turin by more than six months to the second half of 2013. Fiat will also postpone the market entry of new Alfa Romeo models, including the 4C sports car, delaying the brand’s return to the U.S. to 2013.

“We have a negative view on Europe,” Marchionne told reporters at the Frankfurt motor show last month. “It’s not an easy market this year and won’t be an easy one even in 2012.”

Fiat’s pessimistic outlook for Europe, where its losses are estimated at 800 million euros a year, has fueled concerns that the company is turning its back on Italy. Those fears were stoked earlier this month after the company withdrew from the country’s industrial employers lobby Confindustria to have a free hand in labor talks.

The manufacturer’s biggest union, Fiom, has called for a one-day strike on 21 October to protest against proposals to scale back production increases in Italy. Fiat is planning to shut the Termini Imerese factory in Sicily at the end of the year, as it aims to end deficits in the region by 2014.

Fiat’s Italian factories “are part of a much larger network of manufacturing installations,” which will all compete for new vehicles, said Marchionne in Montreal. Fiat’s Italian plants need to as competitive as other plants, he said.

Backed by Chrysler, Fiat now can look forward to generating cash in the U.S., even as the European business burns up resources, said Massimo Vecchio, a Milan-based analyst with Mediobanca.

“Thanks, America,” said Vecchio, who has an “outperform” rating on Fiat.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Debt Crisis: Billions for Banks

Financial Times Deutschland, 12 October 2011

“The EU prepares cash injection for banks,” says the Financial Times Deutschland. Everything must move quickly now. In order to avoid a collapse similar to that of Lehman Brothers in 2008, the head of European Commission José Manuel Barroso is scheduled to present, on October 12, a plan to recapitalise European banks. These could be forced to find new funds. The European Banking Authority (EBA) is, for its part, devising a new stress test to better evaluate their needs. More stringent than the one banks were subjected to this summer, the new test requires that core capital equal 7% of their loans against 5% required in July. In addition, the tests will take into account the possible default of indebted states. The recapitalisation could require several hundred billion euros, the FTD notes. The results of the stress tests will be published before the October 23 meeting of the European Council at which the Member States will decide on the measures now needed to fight the crisis.

“The sector is shaking,” comments FTD, for whom it is the EBA which was made to look ridiculous this summer and which is in need of aid. “Given the EBA’s history,” the paper adds, “its anemic human resources, and its questionable methods — the banks themselves provide the data thus leaving the door wide open to fraud — one can expect the chaos in the markets and around the banks to increase rather than decrease”.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Parliament Votes No: EU Pins Hopes on Second Slovak Vote This Week

The parliament of Slovakia voted against the expansion of the euro bailout fund on Tuesday, stalling plans to contain the debt crisis. The government of Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radicova has fallen but will continue in a caretaker role. It has pledged to get the measure through parliament in a second vote.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Slovak Government Collapses Over Euro-Bailout Fund

The Slovak parliament on Tuesday (11 October) brought down the government in a no-confidence vote linked to the eurozone bail-out fund, a move putting in doubt a second rescue package for Greece as agreed by EU leaders in July.

The Slovak conundrum complicates eurozone talks on a second Greek bail-out accompanied by debt restructuring ahead of a special EU summit, which was delayed to 23 October. “Slovakia has to create political conditions which will allow a positive vote on the EFSF as soon as possible,” European Council chief Herman Van Rompuy said.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Troika Believes in Potemkin Villages

Irish Independent, Dublin

In Greece, Ireland and Portugal, the EU and the IMF are living in their own fantasy of countries cured by austerity. But behind this facade, we’re beginning to see the reality of Europe’s banks filled with bad investments, writes the economic columnist David McWilliams.

Have you ever heard the expression a “Potemkin Village”? It is a Russian expression and derives from a large and extremely successful scam played by Marshall Potemkin — one of Catherine the Great’s many lovers.

In the late 18th century, the Russian elite was keen to pretend to the world that it was more powerful and more muscular than it actually was. As result, the court in St Petersburg decided to take foreign dignitaries and ambassadors down the River Dnieper to witness just how thankful the peasants of the newly occupied Ukraine were to their new, benign Russian overlords.

Knowing that the Westerners — the dignitaries were British, French and Prussian — wouldn’t expect a hoax, Potemkin constructed mobile villages, which he assembled at the turns of the river just before the royal barges carrying the foreigners came into view. What the foreigners would see on the riverbanks were excited, grateful peasants cheering on the royal Russian barges and showering Catherine the Great with compliments. When the barge went out of view, Potemkin would uproot the “village” and transport it, by night, further down the river to assemble it again ahead of the same royal barges when the barges continued down the river having docked overnight.

The foreigners went home marvelling at the strength and wisdom of the Russians, evidenced by the fact that even those whom the Russians conquered were fawning in their praise of their new masters such was the decency of the Russian occupation.

But the key to understanding the gullibility and the success of the Potemkin villages is that the foreigners wanted to believe, because they needed a success in Russia. It was 1787 after all. Monarchist America had become a republic and imperial France was teetering. Old certainties were crumbling for the old order. There was a feeling that a powerful monarchist Russia was needed in order to stop the “domino effect” of the Enlightenment, American Republicanism and war in Europe. In the event, George Washington and Maxim Robespierre put paid to their false hopes — the dominoes did topple.

Given the fear of revolutionary contagion, it’s easy to see why the dignitaries were predisposed to gullibility — because they didn’t want to face up to the consequences of what was actually happening on the ground. They wanted to see the world as they wanted it to be, not as it actually was. And if that meant believing in mobile villages, then so be it!

Now, fast-forward to Merrion Street today. The so-called Troika — complete with its peculiarly Russian-sounding name — is in town. And it will leave saying everything is hunky dory. We show it export figures and GDP figures — today’s Potemkin Villages — and it will go away happy, having taken into consideration nothing of the unemployment, emigration, negative equity or the fact that retail spending has collapsed. It will see what it wants to see.

The Troika doesn’t look at the real, nasty things because it, like the historic dignitaries in Russia, doesn’t want to. It wants to believe its own propaganda because it can’t face the prospect of failure. Remember, for the Troika, Ireland’s austerity programme must prevail because the prospect of the domino effect is too horrible for it to contemplate.

But the game is up. Let me tell you a dirty little secret: the Troika is redundant. Yes, redundant. The Irish IMF/EU deal is history. No matter what we do, events are overtaking us. The IMF/EU deal for Ireland will be torn up in the next three weeks and replaced with something quite, quite different.

The Troika has failed because the main aim of the Troika was not to fix Ireland but to ring-fence Ireland. We were/are a pawn in a much bigger game and that game is saving the euro…

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Congress Passes 3 Free Trade Accords

Congress passed three long-awaited free trade agreements on Wednesday, ending a partisan standoff that has stretched across two presidencies.

Final approval of the deals with South Korea, Colombia and Panama is a bipartisan victory for President Obama and proponents of the view that foreign trade can drive America’s economic growth, in the face of rising protectionist sentiment in both political parties. They are the first trade agreements to pass Congress since Democrats broke a decade of Republican control in 2007.

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Frank Gaffney: “Horatius Wolf”: Rep. Frank Wolf Takes on Grover Norquist

Legend has it that ancient Rome was spared a devastating invasion by the courage and skill of a great warrior named Horatius, whose singlehanded defense of a bridge kept the enemy hordes at bay. From time to time, a contemporary figure exhibits similar heroic qualities, earning this column’s “Horatius at the Bridge” award. With his “statement of conscience” on the floor of the House of Representatives last week, Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) has become the latest recipient of that distinction.

On October 4, Rep. Wolf summarized in five-minutes a long insert he placed that day in the Congressional Record. The immediate impetus for this address was the sixteen-term legislator’s concern about Washington’s current inability to have a constructive conversation about tax reform. The Congressman made clear that he was not in favor of raising taxes but warned that, “We sit here today shackled in ideological gridlock. Some insist that any discussion of tax policy is off the table. Others reject any change in entitlement programs…. Powerful special interests continue to hold this institution hostage and undermine every good faith effort to change course.” …

— Hat tip: CSP

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Lech Walesa, Former Polish President, To Visit New York in Support of Occupy Wall Street

Solidarity hero Lech Walesa is flying to New York to show his support for the Occupy Wall Street protesters.

“How could I not respond,” Walesa told a Polish newspaper Wednesday. “The thousands of people gathered near Wall Street are worried about the fate of their future, the fate of their country. This is something I understand.” A former shipyard worker who led Poland’s successful revolt against Soviet communism, Walesa said “capitalism is in crisis” and not just in America. “This is a worldwide problem,” he told the Lublin-based Dziennik Wschodni newspaper. “The Wall Street protesters have focused a magnifying glass on the problem.”

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Nigerian Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Blow Up Plane

A Nigerian man who pleaded guilty to trying to blow up an international flight with a bomb in his underwear says he committed terrorism in retaliation for the killing of Muslims around the world.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab told a Detroit courtroom Wednesday that the bomb was a “blessed weapon to save the lives of innocent Muslims.”

Abdulmutallab has pleaded guilty on the second day of his trial to charges that include conspiracy to commit terrorism and attempted murder.

He says he tried to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253 with nearly 300 people on board on Christmas 2009.

The bomb didn’t work, but Abdulmutallab was badly burned. Hours later in the hospital, he told the FBI that he was working for Al Qaeda in Yemen.

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Amnesty International Asks Canada to Arrest George W. Bush

(AGI)Ottawa- Canadian authorities have been asked to arrest the former leader for authorising torture during the ‘war on terror’. George W. Bush will be in Surrey, in Canada’s British Columbia region, to participate in a summit on the economy on October 20.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Belgium is Dead: Long Live Belgium!

On 11 October, after 485 days without a government, Elio Di Rupo — who will likely be Belgium’s next prime minister — and his Flemish and Francophone partners presented a global agreement on state reforms. The compromise deal, which has been viewed as heaven sent, will stabilise the country and pave the way for an end to its long-drawn out political crisis.

Along with a plan to divide the bilingual arrondissement of Bruxelles-Hal-Vilvorde (BHV), which led to a breakthrough in negotiations, the main points of the agreement are more federalism with greater autonomy for the country’s regions (Flanders, which represents more than 50% of federal resources, Walloonia and Brussels Capital) in matters of taxation, social security, employment policy and the administration of the highway code. The duration of the federal government’s mandate will also be extended from four to five years to ensure that the country will no longer be subject to permanently ongoing election campaigns.

“Mesdames, messieurs, nous avons un accord!”, headlines Dutch language newspaper De Morgen. The Flemish daily quotes the exact words of Di Rupo’s announcement of the text negotiated with the probable members of a future coalition government. “At last,” writes the newspaper’s political editor Steven Samyn –

… surrounded by eight negotiators, the formateur declared: ‘We have an agreement that will enable our country to evolve and stabilise.’ And there is no better way of stating it. The sixth constitutional reform of the Belgian state will be an evolution, whose goal is to shift more of the heavy weight of the Belgian state onto its federal components, rather than a revolution.

“At last!” remarks in a similar vein La Libre Belgique. In the Brussels daily, columnist Francis Van de Woestyne tips his hat to “the principal artisan of the negotiations, Elio Di Rupo” –

There’s no denying the energy, the patience, the ability to listen, and the creativity that he had to demonstrate to reach this point. Having desperately tried and failed to find a positive solution with [leader Flemish nationalist] Bart De Wever […], Elio Di Rupo had to make do with partners that were in many ways as fragile and unpredictable, as they were divided. It should be said that he was the only politician, in a country that ran the risk of breaking up under pressure from divisive and selfish forces, who had the capacity to bring together the North and the South as well as the left and the right.

For the Le Soir’s leading columnist, Béatrice Delvaux, the main winner in all of this is not di Rupo, but Belgium:…

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Breivik’s Suppliers Investigated

Police in Poznan in Poland have detained ten customers of a local firm which supplied explosive components to the Oslo terrorist Anders Breivik, after he contacted it on the Internet in November 2010.

Investigators say the firm is owned by a local student of chemistry. His customers are suspicious types who officers believe are after no good.

On the 22nd of July, Breivik killed 77 people by detonating a powerful bomb in central Oslo and by firing on boys and girls in an island camp of Norway’s governing Labour Party. (RIAN)

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EU: 70% of European Energy Transits Turkey, Minister

(ANSAmed) — ANKARA, OCTOBER 11 — Seventy per cent of European energy requirements are located along Turkey’s borders and the continent cannot get to them without Ankara’s help, said Turkish minister for European Affairs and head negotiator for the country’s EU membership bid Egemen Bagis, according to reports in the Turkish daily Aksam. The remark, made yesterday in a cultural centre in Bosnia-Herzegovina, was in reference to the imminent publication of the European Commission’s “progress report” on Turkey’s candidature for EU membership. Turkey’s membership bid — which especially France and Germany are against, is strongly backed by Italy and Great Britain, in part due to geostrategic considerations connected with energy supplies.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Germany: Sliding Towards Terrorism

The leftist extremists claiming responsibility for arson attacks on Germany’s rail system this week said they do not want to hurt anyone, but it’s only a matter of time until they do, comments Gerd Nowakowski from Der Tagesspiegel. “Decelerating the capital” — that’s one way of putting it. But all the people in Berlin who struggled with train delays on Tuesday, or those unable to get to Hamburg on Monday, would probably call it terrorism.

Germany’s capital narrowly escaped a public transport collapse because it was only the incendiary device on a cable shaft on the route to Hamburg that went set off, while the explosive device in the city’s main train station itself failed to ignite. “We have switched a small part of the metropolis to standby-mode,” the group Hekla said cynically in an email claiming responsibility for the attacks. But the group’s bombastic political prose won’t give these actions relevance. This time, the ten-year anniversary of the start of the Afghanistan war was used to justify the attacks. At the same time, the group was protesting against child poverty in Berlin, state benefit cuts, and rape — whatever happens to be the complaint of the day.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Norway: Gunman’s Father Admits Breivik Was Abandoned

The 76-year-old father of Norway’s confessed mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik has said psychiatrists had recommended his four-year-old son be taken from the home he shared with his mother for his own benefit.

— Hat tip: KGS

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One in Three Norwegians on Benefits

One in three work-aged adults, the most in the world, is on some sort of sick leave or disability pension in Norway, according to numbers that ended up in the national budget announced this week. Payouts to the sick and injured will grow at 5 percent per year in the coming years, or double what the European Union predicts it will need to cover in the years to 2060.

“After Sweden and the Netherlands managed to reverse the trend, Norway ended up as world leader (in benefits),” University of Bergen welfare state chronicler, Professor Kjell Vaage, told newspaper Bergens Tidende.

Vaage could not be reached by The Local for comment. He said most worrying was the spike in numbers of young people among the 1.5 million on social services in this country of just over 4.5 million people. Vaage claims sick pay rules account for Norway’s “weakness”.

— Hat tip: KGS

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Poland Nabs 19 Linked to Norway Killer

Warsaw — A Polish security agency said on Wednesday that 19 people have been arrested across the country on suspicion of producing and possessing explosives.

The Internal Security Agency said the arrests were part of a wider investigation into the illegal production and sale of explosives that was launched after Norway asked Poland to investigate people with links to confessed mass killer Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 69 people at a youth camp in July in Norway.

Poland was asked to provide information on a man who was mentioned by Breivik as a possible source of substances that could be used in the production of explosives.

The agency said the arrests were also the result of an analysis of a manifesto that Breivik had posted on the internet.

The agency said in a statement that large quantities of explosives were seized on Tuesday and Wednesday during a search of some 100 homes and houses and dozens of cars and garages across the country. The search was carried out by the agency, police, border guards and firefighters.

A few dozen people, who had obtained chemicals at a warehouse near the western city of Poznan, are suspected of using the substances to make explosives.

— Hat tip: Vlad Tepes

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Romania: Panic in Giurgiu City

Evenimentul zilei, 12 October 2011

“Welcome to Giurgiu, the city terrorised by the Gypsy mafia,” headlines Romanian daily Evenimentul zilei. The paper highlights the law of silence that reigns on this southern Romanian city following the tragic death of an American youth who played basketball for the local team, the CSS Giurgiu. On October 8, Chauncey Hardy was killed in a nightclub, due to a dispute over a woman, by a local hoodlum known as Gypsy Gipsanu.

“Investigators are not saying a word and people speak in fear,” notes Evenimentul zilei. The investigation into the assassination revealed “a mafia-like system” composed of politicians, lawyers and civil servants,” in a city in which violence is on the rise, the paper says. It further notes that the omerta, or law of silence, observed by the residents of Giurgiu sends the image of a city managed by a network of mafia bosses with access to the local administration and business circles.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Switzerland: Dog Lover Loved Dog Far Too Much: Court

A young man who had sex with his dog for several years has been ordered to undergo regular psychiatric treatment if he is to avoid spending eight months behind bars, a Swiss court ruled on Monday. The judge at Liestal court in northwestern Switzerland took into account the results of a psychiatric diagnosis. Results found the defendant to be a person of extraordinary intelligence but with a severe personality disorder that manifested itself in narcissistic ways.

The public prosecutor had demanded 20 months in prison for the professed zoophile. Unlike in countries like Denmark, Hungary and Sweden, sex with animals is forbidden in Switzerland. According to the investigations, the 25-year-old man had been having sex with his puppy Blässli, an Appenzeller mountain dog, and two other dogs since 2008. A vet discovered evidence of the defendant’s practices by chance on a pro-zoophilia internet forum.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Brussels Halts Albania’s Bid for E.U. Membership

(AGI) Tirana — The E.U. rejected Albania’s request for candidate membership status saying the country has made little progress. The report on the state of enlargement presented by Commissioner Stefan Fule in Brussels, confirmed earlier reports in the Albanian press announcing yet another rejection.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Egypt: No Arab Spring Without Religious Freedom, Says Italian Lawmaker

Rome, 11 Oct. (AKI) — An Italian lawmaker has deplored the violence that left at least 25 minority Coptic Christian protesters dead and hundreds injured on Sunday in clashes with the Egyptian army and residents in Cairo.

“The events in Cairo, with the repression and the massacre of Copts by the army together with criminal Islamic elements tells what is happening not only in Egypt but throughout the Middle East,” conservative Italian politician Renato Farina said in an interview with online newspaper Ragionpolitica.it.

“There can be no Arab Spring without religious freedom,” said Farina, referring to the popular revolts that have ousted longtime autocratic rulers in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt and rattled ruling regimes in other Arab countries.

Egypt’s finance minister Hazem el-Beblawi, appointed by the ruling military council after the popular protests earlier this year, resigned on Tuesday over Sunday’s violence.

Egypt’s ruling military council has ordered a swift inquiry into the violence and the United Nations on Tuesday urged authorities to carry out an impartial and independent investigation of the bloodshed.

El-Beblawi’s resignation came as members of the Coptic Christian community began a three-day fast to mourn those killed Sunday in during the protest in Maspiro, the area in front of the Egyptian state TV headquarters in Cairo.

“Today, pseudo-religious conflict serves as a pretext to delay elections due in March, leaving everything in the military’s hands. More extremist elements of the (Islamist) Muslim Brotherhood, currently split in into three factions, may seek to exploit this situation,” said Farina.

About 2,000 people gathered in Cairo on Sunday for an initially peaceful rally to protest against its destruction. But fighting soon broke out, involving protesters, residents and troops.

The Copts, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt’s 85 million population, have several grievances against the country’s military, which is in temporary charge of the country while elections are organised.

They say the authorities have been slow to punish radical Islamists who have attacked their churches.

The military was handed the power to govern by former president Hosni Mubarak before he was toppled in the popular revolt earlier this year.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Egypt: Coptic Bishop Says 25 Died Due to “False Reports”

(ANSAmed) — ROME, OCTOBER 12- “Twenty-five died last Sunday during the clashes in the Maspero area (home to the Egyptian radio and TV) due to false reports. Among the victims, there are 22 Copts and three members of the Egyptian security forces” This is what Coptic-Orthodox bishop of Assuan Anba Idra stated during an interview with Coptic TV Al Karma. According to the Al Arabiya website reporting the news, clashes started when it was reported that some Muslim destroyed the church in the village of Mrinab, in the city of Asawan, removing the cross and the bell.

The bishop stated: “The destroyed church was a building under construction and still had no cross.” Idra added:”The Muslim had never opposed Copts during the construction of the church.” The bishop specified: “Reports about Muslim destroying the church and forcing Christians to remove the cross are totally false.” Anba Idra specified: “ In the village of Mrinab there is no tension between the Muslim and Copts.” The bishop told the Coptic TV the story of the church: “The church originally was a normal house where Coptic inhabitants of the village gathered to pray during religious festivities, under the surveillance of security forces. The house was in ruins and needed restructuring. The churchmen obtained the authorization to demolish the old house and build a new church. The Muslim had worked to the construction of the church and there was no problem with the inhabitants of the village. However, the building resulted higher than the limit imposed by the construction authorization. Some people from outside Mrinab visited their relatives in the village and were surprised to see that a church had been built. These people had accused the inhabitants of Mrinab of weakness, causing only some minor skirmish. In spite of this, no Christian was assaulted and the Muslim never raised a hand against the new church under construction. The Muslim did not remove the cross, neither the bell as it was reported for a very simple reason: the cross and the bell still weren’t there”, the bishop stated.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Pope Calls for Respect for the Rights of All in Egypt, Especially Minorities

Appeal of Benedict XVI who was “deeply saddened” by events in Cairo, “attempts to undermine peaceful coexistence.” Support the efforts of the civil and religious authorities “for a society based on justice”. In his general audience, he comments on Psalm 126, which reminds us that, even in the midst of pain, “God is always present.”

Vatican City (AsiaNews) — In Egypt, the rights of all must be respected, especially minorities. This was the appeal launched by Benedict XVI, at the end of his general audience during which he said he was “deeply saddened by the violence perpetrated in Cairo last Sunday,” and expressed his support for “the efforts of Egyptian authorities, civil and religious, in favour of a society which respects the human rights of everyone, and especially minorities, to the benefit of national unity. “ The Pope said he was close to the “pain of the families of the victims and the entire Egyptian people, torn by attempts to undermine the peaceful coexistence between its communities, which is important to preserve, especially in this time of transition.” “I urge the faithful — he concluded — to pray that society may enjoy a true peace based on justice, freedom and respect for the dignity of every citizen.”

Earlier in his catechesis, the Pope illustrated that even though our history is marked by “pain, uncertainty, moments of crisis” it is “a history of salvation,” because in our history and our lives “God is already present. “ This was the lesson that Benedict XVI outlined from a reading of Psalm 126, of which he spoke today, his series on prayer.

Benedict XVI described the prayer as “festive, in the joy that sings the wonders of God”: “The Lord has done great things for us.” It is the memory of the “exhilarating experience of salvation,” “when the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion.” It starts from a situation of suffering and need in which God works salvation and “restores” things as to even better than they were before.

This is what happens to the people of Israel returning to their homeland from Babylonian exile. It was the end of their deportation to a foreign land. “The fall of Jerusalem and the deportation had been a devastating experience for the chosen people. On the political and social level, but also on a religious one: the loss of the promised land, the destruction of the temple, the end of the Davidic dynasty” are perceived as a failure of the divine promises, “the people of the alliance painfully question a God that seems to have abandoned them”.

“Their return indicates the new-found friendship with God,” “the experience of his mercy.” “We should look more often — the Pope said — how throughout the events of our life the Lord has protected us, we must be mindful of the good things that the Lord gives us, we are always attentive to the problems and difficulties and often do not perceive the beautiful things given to us by the Lord. Instead by focusing on the good things received, the memory of the good, helps us in our darkest hours. “

This, “celebration of the joy of a restored fate,” in first part of the Psalm, in the second part, appears as something yet to be built, “ this contradiction is explained with the difficult return home, which leads once more to the request for divine intervention “. “The consoling experience of liberation from Babylon is still incomplete, it has already taken place, but is not yet fulfilled, pending a full implementation, this is the reason for particular images that refer to the reality of life and death, redemption, joy, tears and distress.

There is “the experience that is renewed every year in the agricultural world: the difficulty of sowing and the joy of the harvest, you sow what could you throw into bread, you throw the seed but do not know where it will fall, if the birds will eat it , if it will take root, if it will become an ear of corn”. “Throwing the seed is an act of trust that the farmer repeats year after year, he sows the seed and when the fields are filled with a harvest here is the joy”.

“The exile to Babylon is like pain and other situations of crisis, the apparent distance from God, but in the New Testament, the message becomes clearer: the believer through silence and the pain is like a grain of wheat, like the woman who endures the pains of childbirth in order to arrive at a new life: we must always remain open to hope and steadfast in our faith in God. “

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Smuggled Libyan Weapons Flood Into Egypt

EL ARISH, Egypt — Large caches of weapons from Libya are making their way across the Egyptian border and flooding black markets in Egypt’s already unstable Sinai Peninsula, according to current and former Egyptian military officials and arms traders in the Sinai.

— Hat tip: Vlad Tepes

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Qatar: Camel Milk an Alternative for Children Allergic to Cow Milk

(ANSAmed) — DOHA, OCTOBER 12 — Most children allergic to cow milk can use camel milk as an alternative source of milk. This was the outcome of two studies carried out by the Immunology Department of the Pediatric Unit of Qatar’s Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). “80% of children allergic to milk cow drank camel milk without reporting problems” Doctor Mohammed Ehlayel stated. Doctor Ehlayel is the Head of the Pediatric Unit at HMC and a Professor at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar. FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, stated that camel milk is the most similar to human milk and is very rich in nutrients and therapeutic ingredients. The first study was carried out on 35 children of age ranging from 6 to 12 months who had proved allergic to cow milk. They were administered camel milk for an average period of 15 months.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Saudi Arabia: UN ‘Deeply Distressed’ About Migrant Executions

Geneva, 11 Oct. (AKI) — The United Nations says it was “deeply distressed” about the recent execution of eight foreign workers in Saudi Arabia and called on the country to halt its use of capital punishment.

“We call on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and all other States that still maintain the death penalty to respect international standards that provide safeguards to ensure protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) spokesperson Rupert Colville, during a press conference in Geneva

The eight Bangladeshi migrant workers were beheaded in public in the capital, Riyadh, on Friday after they were found guilty of killing an Egyptian in 2007, according to media reports. Three other Bangladeshis were sentenced to prison terms and flogging in the same case., the OHCHR said in a statement.

OHCHR said that of the at least 58 people reportedly executed in Saudi Arabia so far this year, 20 were migrant workers.

Saudi Arabia, China, Iran, the United States and Yemen are the countries that executive the highest numbers of people, according to human rights group Amnesty International.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Pakistan: Christian Girl, 12, Kidnapped, Beaten Until She Converted to Islam and Raped for Eight Months

A 12-year-old Christian girl was kidnapped and repeatedly raped for eight months in Pakistan by a man who then falsified marriage documents with her, it was claimed today.

The girl was lured on a shopping trip in Lahore by a friend, before she was driven 120 miles to Tandianwalla and raped by the friend’s uncle in January this year.

Two days later, she was forced to sign papers consenting to marriage with the man and beaten for refusing to convert from Christianity to Islam.

She was then held against her will for eight months, before managing to escape and contact her family.

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has said the rapists have not been arrested because of their affiliation with a militant Muslim organisation — the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba.

It claims the police have refused to order a medical check-up on the girl, and have warned her parents that it would be better for them to hand over the girl to her ‘legal’ husband or a criminal case would be filed against them.

An investigation into the kidnapping found the girl’s father reported her disappearance in January and made complaints against her abductors, but police took no action for eight months.

Last month, the girl — who has not been named for legal reasons — called her family from Tandianwalla and told them she had been abducted, but had escaped and was hiding at a bus stop.

The girl’s parents travelled to the town and rescued her, before taking her to a local magistrate to give a statement.

The rapists then contacted the police through their religious group and produced a marriage certificate that claimed to show one of them was married to the 12-year-old.

As a result of their complaint, the Christian family has gone into hiding as members of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba are searching for them.

The group claims the girl is pregnant, but her mother has denied this is true.

The AHRC said that police never asked the religious group how a 12-year-old could be married. The legal age for marriage in Pakistan in 16.

It claims the Punjab provincial government is patronising banned militant organisations.

The British Pakistani Christian Association has launched a petition calling on the Pakistani government to investigate the attack.

For more information, visit

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2048261/Christian-girl-12-kidnapped-raped-beaten-converted-Islam.html

— Hat tip: Vlad Tepes

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Climate Change Carbon Tax Bill Passes

Australia’s carbon tax is set to become law after the lower house of Parliament passed the government’s historic but controversial set of bills to establish the world’s most broadly based carbon pricing scheme.

Against last-minute efforts by the opposition to delay the passage of the bills and 11th-hour pleas for amendments by some business groups, the government passed its 18 pieces of legislation by a vote of 74 to 72 just before 10am.

— Hat tip: Nilk

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Climate Change: Gallery Disrupts Gillard

The government’s first question time since passing the carbon tax legislation in the lower house was almost inaudible at times today.

The public gallery erupted in chanting, with the speaker Harry Jenkins cautioning visitors to behave themselves.

Mr Jenkins said he would not be clearing the gallery, but said: “I will not be endangering those who are employed by the Parliament to keep order in the gallery.”

A member of the public in the gallery kept goading Prime Minister Julia Gillard with chants of “Liar.”

About 80 protesters chanted “democracy is dead” and “no mandate”.

— Hat tip: Nilk

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Where Child Sacrifice is a Business

The villages and farming communities that surround Uganda’s capital, Kampala, are gripped by fear. Schoolchildren are closely watched by teachers and parents as they make their way home from school. In playgrounds and on the roadside are posters warning of the danger of abduction by witch doctors for the purpose of child sacrifice. The ritual, which some believe brings wealth and good health, was almost unheard of in the country until about three years ago, but it has re-emerged, seemingly alongside a boom in the country’s economy.

The mutilated bodies of children have been discovered at roadsides, the victims of an apparently growing belief in the power of human sacrifice. Many believe that members of the country’s new elite are paying witch doctors vast sums of money for the sacrifices in a bid to increase their wealth.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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France to Immigrants: You Must Learn French

France said on Wednesday it was tightening immigration rules to require would-be citizens to provide written proof that they speak enough French to manage their daily lives. Announced in the government’s official gazette, the new rules require candidates for citizenship to “prove knowledge of the French language consistent with understanding the essential points needed to manage daily life.”

Candidates previously had their language skills tested in interviews with government officials, but will now be required to provide evidence of French-language skills “by producing a diploma or certificate delivered by a state-recognised organism.” The new rules take effect in January. Quoting an interior ministry estimate, business newspaper Les Echos reported on Wednesday that about one million foreigners living in France did not speak French.

It said the French government was growing increasingly concerned over the issue and was spending €60 million ($83 million) to promoteFrench-language skills and integration among immigrants. France grants citizenship to about 100,000 candidates every year, according to official figures.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

[Return to headlines]

	Financial Crisis
»	Europe’s Attention Shifts to Its Ailing Banks
»	Eurozone Crisis: How Germany Hopes to Convert the Greeks
»	Graham Summers Weekly Market Forecast (Dexia Now… Who’s Next? Edition)
»	Greece: CB Activates Rescue Fund to Save Proton Bank
»	Greece: Ministry Occupations Continue in Athens
»	Marc Faber to America: “Listen You Lazy Bugger, You Need to Tighten Your Belts, You Need to Work More for Lower Salaries”
»	Portugal: Brussels Forms Team for Use Assistance Funds
	USA
»	John Nampion vs. His Sharia-Compliant Teenage Son
»	‘Leaders’ Who Fail the Awlaki Test
»	NYC: Islamic Friday Prayer at Wall Street!
»	Pastor Jeffress’s Comments: Rick Perry’s ‘Rev. Wright’ Moment
»	Stakelbeck: Muslim Brotherhood Gaining Foothold in U.S. Govt.?
»	U.S. Accuses Iranians of Plotting to Kill Saudi Envoy
	Europe and the EU
»	Berlusconi Passes Development Decree to Romani
»	Chewing Gum Helps Swedish Students Learn
»	Chocoholics Run Lower Risk of Stroke: Study
»	Cyprus: A Political Crisis Out of Control, Press
»	Cyprus: Much More Gas Found Offshore Than Expected, Radio
»	Finland’s First Terrorism Case Expands to Include Finnish Citizen
»	France and Germany to Propose Changes to EU Treaties
»	France: Over 200 Strikes to Hit Transport and Schools
»	Germany: New Incendiary Device Found on Train Tracks
»	‘I Only Started Crying Later’: Norway’s Prime Minister Discusses the Utøya Massacre
»	Italian Blogger Puts UK Defence Secretary in Frame
»	Italy: Lombardy Councillor Questioned by Prosecutors in Monza
»	Italy: Riots Between University Students in Naples, Two Injured
»	Liberals Skewer SVP Criminal Deportation Plan
»	Norway Killing Film Slammed
»	Portugal: Boss of Madeira in Narrow Victory
»	Radical Islam Has Settled Into Ireland
»	Ratification Hangs in Balance: Europe Tensely Awaits Euro Vote in Slovakia
»	Rich Brits Plot Escape to France
»	Romania: Crooked Judges in Corruption Scandal
»	Spain: Lavazza Deal With Areas for Opening of 14 Cafes
»	UK: Another Adherent to Radical Islam Welcomed by the Guardian
»	UK: Guardian Appoints Engage Employee as Stand in Religious Affairs Columnist
»	UK: Muslim Youth Projects to be Awarded With a Special Posthumous Award for Birmingham Riot Victims
	Balkans
»	Bosnia: Radical Tunisian Muslim Deported as ‘Security Threat’
»	EU: Serbia: Commission to Approve Candidate Status Soon
»	Sweden Blames Albanians for Anti-Albanian Hatred
	North Africa
»	Caroline Glick: The Forgotten Christians of the East
»	Christians in Peril
»	Coptic Church Condemns Attack, Muslims Pelt Funeral Procession With Bricks
»	Egypt: Giza Bishop: No Law or Justice
»	Egypt: Anti-Copt Violence, Consequence of 30 Years of Bad Policies, Said Catholic Priest
»	Egypt Protests: Government Faces Accusations of Deliberately Encouraging Sectarian Hatred
»	Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood, ‘Wrong Time’ For Copt Protests
»	Morrocans Mosque Imams Protest Tight Government Controls on Preaching
»	Tunisia: Elections: Tension Sky-High in the Country
	Israel and the Palestinians
»	Israel Demolishes Mosque in Jordan Valley
»	Israeli Prisons Are Worse Than Auschwitzes of the Nazis, Says PA
»	Israel to Release 1,000 Palestinian Prisoners Including Marwan Barghouti
»	Netanyahu Announces Deal to Free Shalit
»	‘Occupation Forces Trying to Change Historical Sites’
	Middle East
»	Feeding the Masses: German Firm to Assess Catering Project for Mecca Pilgrims
»	Hatred of Arabs Deeply Rooted in Persians, Says Iranian Intellectual
»	Saudi Arabia: Arab Brutality in the Name of Islam
»	Saudi Arabia: Riyadh: Colombian Footballer Arrested Over Tattoo of Christ’s Face
	South Asia
»	Indonesia: The Islamic Hardcore
»	Indonesia: Java Church Reports Local Officials for Disrupting Religious Freedom
»	Not a Single Christian Church Left in Afghanistan
	Australia — Pacific
»	First Carbon Bill Passes Lower House
	Sub-Saharan Africa
»	Nigeria: Soldier, Other Die as Explosions Rock Maiduguri
»	Somalia: Special Forces Free Crew of Pirated Cargo Ship
	Immigration
»	Netherlands: PvdA Blames Immigration on Rightwing Parties
»	UK: Immigrants Must Pass Test on British History, Says David Cameron
	Culture Wars
»	UK: Creationism Attack Under UK Muslim Fire
	General
»	7 Population Milestones for 7 Billion People
»	A Muslim Life of Brian? No Way, Says Python
»	New Map of Saturn Moon Titan Reveals Surprisingly Earth-Like Features
»	Three-Way Race to Reach Lost Antarctic Lakes
»	World’s Largest Virus Proves Giants Came From Cells

Europe’s Attention Shifts to Its Ailing Banks

Sovereign bonds were once considered among the safest of all investments. Yet with Greece teetering and several more euro-zone countries on the watch list, the Continent’s banks are in trouble. The European Union is struggling to come up with an antidote. By SPIEGEL Staff

The mood was decidedly somber last Thursday as Jean-Claude Trichet put in his last appearance as the president of the European Central Bank (ECB) following a meeting of the institution’s governing council. There was no farewell gift and no bouquet of flowers — only a few words of praise from Jens Weidmann, the president of Germany’s central bank, the Bundesbank.

Trichet briefly acknowledged that he was “deeply moved” by the tribute from his German colleague. Then the Frenchman, who will be replaced by Italy’s Mario Draghi at the end of this month as the head of Europe’s currency watchdog, turned to the latest casualty of the euro crisis. The banks.

Three years after the collapse of the Lehman Brothers investment bank in September 2008, the crisis is heading toward a new peak. The banks no longer trust each other and, during the past week, prices of insurance policies to protect investors in the event that credit institutions go bankrupt have soared to the highest levels ever observed. Only the central banks are considered safe havens and are flooded with money from financial institutions.

Even US President Barack Obama is anxiously watching as events unfold in Europe. He recently stated publicly that the events transpiring on the other side of the Atlantic currently represent the greatest threat to the American economy. “You must act fast,” he told the Europeans, adding that there needs to be a “very clear, concrete plan of action that is sufficient to the task.”

Back in 2008, the threat came from America. At the time, the US government allowed Lehman Brothers to go bankrupt — and unleashed a financial tsunami that drove large parts of the global economy into a recession and cost millions of jobs.

Extremely Precarious Situation

Now, it has become apparent that the danger from the heart of the financial world has not yet been eliminated. This time, though, it is emanating from Europe. With leading politicians and economists saying that the cash-strapped Greeks will soon require substantial debt relief, Europe’s financial institutions find themselves in an extremely precarious situation.

Many banks still hold billions of euros in government bonds from Greece and other debt-stricken European countries. If these securities tumble in value, the institutions involved could face bankruptcy themselves. In the financial sector there is a growing fear of a chain reaction — and of a second meltdown in the banking sector. The supply of money to business and industry could soon dry up, sparking a new credit crunch.

As a precautionary measure, ECB President Trichet has turned on the money pump again. Over the coming months, the banks will have access to virtually unlimited liquidity from the ECB.

Furthermore, European heads of government are debating a new radical program. It has become apparent that a number of European banks will have to be nationalized and plans call for the money to finance this move to come, at least in part, from the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), the temporary euro backstop fund.

It was only in early September that Christine Lagarde, as the new head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), was heavily criticized after she suggested that European banks would need some €200 billion ($267 billion) in additional capital. Now though, following a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and World Bank President Robert Zoellick last week in Berlin to discuss the banking crisis, it is clear that everyone agree on the gravity of the situation…

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Eurozone Crisis: How Germany Hopes to Convert the Greeks

Les Echos, Paris

An activist demonstrating outside the HQ of the Greek Federation of German Industries in Berlin during a meeting at which Angela Merkel and Georges Papandreou attended, September 27, 2011.

AFP

Once the Troika had finished its discussions with the government of Greek PM Georges Papandreou regarding new adjustment measures, the German Economy Minister popped down to Athens to suggest to Greece that it change economic models — to more closely resemble the German one.

Karl de Meyer

It was close to 11pm on October 6 when Philipp Rösler, German Economy Minister escaped from his Vouliagmeni hotel to take a few steps on the nearby beach. The night was balmy, quiet. A slight breeze wafted the scent of pine and the sound of lounge music from a cocktail bar. The spreading sea evoked Homeric epics; the plots hatched by the gods on Mount Olympus; the heroes of Sophocles; and the allegories of Plato.

It was hard to believe that Greece was on the brink of disaster, that without a green light from the Troika (IMF, ECB and EU Commission), Athens could default as of next month; or that Europe has been divided for the past eighteen months over how to contain a crisis that threatens to destroy the euro. Yet that was the case. On the eve of Philipp Rösler’s arrival, another general strike against the drastic austerity measures adopted by the Papandreou government paralysed the country.

Energise the Greek economy

While the German minister, surrounded by bodyguards, allowed himself a few minutes’ walk, Greeks disguised as Hitler were demonstrating in front of the German Embassy in Athens. After four years of recession, next year, unemployment is forecast at 20%, according to economists.

If Philipp Rösler came to Athens, it was not to commune with eternity but to offer Germany’s help, as Greece’s primary trading partner. Trade flows total €8 billion per year. To get out of the quagmire — it has long been clear in Berlin — Athens must do more than purge its public finances. It must also be helped to regain a competitive edge. In short, it must change its economic model. Preferably to adopt one that is more…Germanic.

Philipp Rösler led a delegation of some 70 bankers and business leaders who were expected to bring ideas, advice and capital. The visit should be seen as complementary to the work of the EU Commission task force, chaired by another German, Horst Reichenbach, established in July to energise the Greek economy.

Solar power

The visit was taken seriously and Philipp Rösler met with the PM, himself on Friday. He also met with his counterpart, the Greek Economy Minister as well as the Energy Minister. It’s in this field that the German government sees the greatest opportunities, particularly regarding photovoltaic energy.

With an average of over 300 days of sunshine per year, Greece has enormous potential which it has, until now, under-exploited. It currently has a capacity for 350MW compared with some 20GW produced in Germany. “The country has an interesting guaranteed price system, better even than in Germany, but the problem is that investors don’t know how it might change,” explains Dirk Janssen, an expert lawyer from Watson, Farley & Williams.

Athens has now fixed a goal of installing up to 10GW on its soil. Called the Helios project, it aims to export this green electricity — perhaps to Germany. Berlin decided, in June, to shut down its nuclear plants in the next ten years and needs to readjust its energy mix to compensate. Chancellor Angela Merkel, herself, last week said that it made sense to produce solar energy where the most optimal conditions prevail…

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Graham Summers Weekly Market Forecast (Dexia Now… Who’s Next? Edition)

Things are getting truly desperate in Europe. I’d like to show just how bad they are by way of example: the Belgian bank Dexia, which is now in the process of being nationalized. For starters, Dexia had 566 billion euros in debt and 19 billion euros in equity as of the end of 2010. Right off the bat, that’s a leverage ratio of 29 to 1. Lehman Brothers was leveraged at 30 to 1 when it collapsed. Now consider that Belgium’s entire GDP is just 348 billion euros. Dexia has 566 billion euros in assets. Of this 352 billion are loans. Put another way, Dexia’s loan portfolio alone is larger than its home country’s entire economy.

AND THIS BANK PASSED THE STRESS TESTS.

Suffice to say, Europe’s banking system is in far FAR worse shape than anyone over there is admitting. The stress tests were complete and total fiction. And the market is starting to figure this out.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Greece: CB Activates Rescue Fund to Save Proton Bank

(ANSAmed) — ATHENS, OCTOBER 10 — Greece’s Central Bank said on Monday it activated a bank rescue fund to save Proton Bank, effectively nationalising the small lender that is under investigation for possible violation of the country’s money-laundering laws. Greece and its international lenders have set up a capital support backstop, the Financial Stability Fund (FSF), as a safety net for banks that need to recapitalise but cannot raise funds in the market and to prevent systemic risk.

“After recommendation by the Bank of Greece, the Finance Ministry proceeded to apply to Proton Bank a new law about the restoration of banks,” the Bank of Greece said in a statement as daily Financial Mirror reports. The Bank of Greece said Proton was split into a “good bank” where all of its private sector, government deposits and sound assets were transferred. The good bank will have the FSF backstop as its sole shareholder and retain the trade name Proton. “The ‘good bank’ is well capitalised, with a capital adequacy ratio that is well above the regulatory threshold. It has access to euro-system liquidity through the Bank of Greece,” the Central Bank said. The Central Bank added the licence of the old Proton Bank was withdrawn and it was put into liquidation. The proceeds of the liquidation will be used to cover the claims of third parties. Proton shareholders will rank as last claimants. “The new bank, free of the deficiencies of the previous bank, is financially sound and will continue normally its operations,” the Bank of Greece said.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Greece: Ministry Occupations Continue in Athens

(ANSAmed) — ATHENS, OCTOBER 11 — Employees continue to occupy government offices in the Greek capital in protest against the austerity measures brought in by Prime Minister George Papandreou. Today will see the General State Accounting offices occupied as well as those of the Pensions Department, the Aspropirgos refineries — where about 300 workers have occupied the plant — and the Agriculture Bank. As concerns ministries, today the Interior, Labour and Development ones are all under occupation.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Marc Faber to America: “Listen You Lazy Bugger, You Need to Tighten Your Belts, You Need to Work More for Lower Salaries”

“I will tell you what the US needs. The US needs a Lee Kwan Yew who stands in front of the US and tells them, listen you lazy bugger, now you have to tighten your belts, you have to save more, work more for lower salaries and only through that will we get out of the current dilemma that essentially prevents the economy from growing.”

No money printing, no extensive protests, no excuses. Of course, this would have to accompany a global overhaul of the system, something Zero Hedge has been advocating since day one, as it is impossible to reform this broken system from within: “The problem i have with the investment universe is that i find it difficult to envision how the US and western Europe can return to healthy sustainable growth without a complete purge of the financial system and some type of catalyst. Something that restores some measure of social cohesion among people; it could be hyperinflation, a complete credit market collapse, widespread sovereign defaults, civil strife, major military confrontation.”

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Portugal: Brussels Forms Team for Use Assistance Funds

(ANSAmed) — BRUSSELS, OCTOBER 10 — As requested by the Portuguese government, the European Commission has created a support structure for Portugal, aimed at a better use of Community funds in support of the Economic and Financial Assistance programme that is implemented in Portugal. Brussels reports that the structure will consist of a small team of experts which will provide technical assistance to the Portuguese authorities in reprogramming and reprioritising Community funds in a way which mutually reinforces the objectives of the Programme agreed with Troika as well as the growth perspectives of Portugal. The team will be led by Herve’ Carre’, former general director of Eurostat. Portugal. This initiative is part of the overall Commission support to the countries under assistance.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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John Nampion vs. His Sharia-Compliant Teenage Son

Hey Dad — you know about the Moors, right?

Sure, Nick, I’ve heard of them. Read a little about them in school.

Then you probably know they created the most advanced civilization in the history of the world. Muslims. Muslims, Dad.

Please sit back, relax, and enjoy the following Sharia-compliant video, the current fad in dhimmified classrooms across the country:

[…]

— Hat tip: JP

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‘Leaders’ Who Fail the Awlaki Test

Muslim groups that refused to cheer

The just assassination of Anwar al-Awlaki was a defining moment for American Muslims. We should have been leading the cheers — but instead many of our self-appointed “spokesmen” squandered their bandwidth. This one is personal. As one of us, Awlaki’s extreme form of Islamism swayed many Muslims to hate America and the West. Worse — in flagrant defiance of the central tenets of our Islam — he taught many Muslims to diminish the value of human life. Yet where most Americans saw a traitor who turned on his nation in order to fight our sons and daughters on the battlefield, too many American Islamic groups were steeped in denial.

The Dar al-Hijra mosque in northern Virginia, Awlaki’s last stomping ground before leaving the US, issued statements defending his pre-2002 interfaith work and insinuating that it was torture in Yemeni prisons that radicalized Awlaki. And while the Council on American-Islamic Relations “repudiated Awlaki’s incitement to violence,” it also “urged inquiry into the constitutional issues raised by the assassination.”

What does it matter that Awlaki was once a US citizen? Neither by our Constitution nor by Islam am I ashamed to rejoice in his death. The groups taking this shameful approach, along with the Muslim Public Affairs Council, blame supposed Islamophobia for any anti-Islamic sentiment in the United States. Yet their own hair-splitting is guaranteed to help sour American opinion on Islam and Muslims. Awlaki left the United States and declared war against our nation. He hid behind our faith, exploited our nation’s freedoms, radicalized other Muslims and sent them to die for him. Every Muslim should be asking ourselves publicly and unapologetically — when do we believe Awlaki actually became a threat? That will separate Muslims who are part of the problem from those who are part of the solution.

In their releases, CAIR and MPAC pointedly note that he left the US before turning violent — as if violence was his only problem. He did not spontaneously combust into a militant: The insidious, hate-filled Islamism he embraced while still in America provided ample fertile soil for his further radicalization. Where were the litany of contrite Muslim leaders demanding a public discussion within our mosques and organizations about the signs and ideologies they missed in Awlaki? Muslims should be the most furious Americans with what radicals like Awlaki have done. His tapes and CDs filled Islamic sites and stores in the past two decades. We need to publicly unravel his hateful ideas from our Islam. Only then will Americans understand how vital our role is as American Muslims.

Let others fret over constitutional nuances. Let us as American Muslims take a strident stand against everything for which Awlaki stood. Yes, our government should have revoked his citizenship. Yes, we should have formally declared war on al Qaeda. Yes, we might have tried Awlaki in absentia, but the evidence may have been too sensitive and we did not. But none of that takes away the righteousness of killing Awlaki. As an American Muslim, I sleep better at night knowing that the monster is dead and will no longer be a threat to our Muslim children.

Yet so-called “Muslim leaders” react to his killing by suggesting that our government will now feel free to assassinate Muslim citizens at will. This is absurd and obscene. Just who does it help to plant such baseless fears among our fellow Muslims? We desperately need high-profile organizations entrenched in Americanism and ready to take on Islamism and its agents in the public square. Our faith demands just such a counter-jihad.

M. Zuhdi Jasser is the founder and president of the Phoenix-based American Islamic Forum for Democracy and a founding member of the American Islamic Leadership Coalition (info@aifdemocracy.org).

— Hat tip: JP

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NYC: Islamic Friday Prayer at Wall Street!

Recently I posted video footage of Muslims praying in the street at NYCâ€(tm)s 26Th Annual Muslim Day Parade. Of course that was not enough for NYâ€(tm)s Islamic community. They see America is in a state of weakness because of the politically correct disease, and will continue to push their religion in our faces. This upcoming event is another Islamic display of power, and let me make this clear. Muslims do not care what infidels want, they stand with Islam above all! It is time the rest of the country comes to terms with this, and demands an end to all Muslim immigration.

— Hat tip: heroyalwhyness

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Pastor Jeffress’s Comments: Rick Perry’s ‘Rev. Wright’ Moment

If Gov. Rick Perry retains any hope of being president he will denounce the Rev. Robert Jeffress as a bigot in no uncertain words. He should do it before the debate Tuesday night.

It’s not enough that Perry’s spokesman said the governor didn’t share Jeffress’s view that Mormonism is a cult. After the way Jeffress unloaded, both in his introduction of Perry at the Values Voters Summit and afterword in remarks to the press, the public needs to hear from the candidate himself.

Jeffress, senior pastor of the 10,000 member First Baptist Church of Dallas, said publicly and boldly some evangelicals have been saying privately. Polling shows that more than 20 percent of Republicans say they would not vote for a Mormon for president and Jeffress told them they were right: “I think Romney is a good moral person but those of us who are born-again followers of Christ should prefer a competent Christian….Between a Rick Perry and a Mitt Romney I believe evangelicals need to go with Rick Perry.” Later, speaking with reporters after Perry’s address, he was more direct: “Mormonism is not Christianity. It’s not politically correct to say, but Mormonism is a cult.”

Jeffress did allow that Romney was “a fine family person.” But “it is only faith in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone that qualifies you as a Christian.” And presumably as a president as well “Do we want a candidate who is a good moral person, or one who is a born-again follower of the Lord Jesus Christ?” he asked. (Can’t you be both?) “In Rick Perry we have a candidate who is a committed follower of Christ.”

Listen to Jeffress’s views on some other religions: “Islam is an oppressive religion. Here is the deep dark secret…it promotes pedophilia, sex with children. For Christians, the worst thing about Islam is that it is a false religion that leads people away from God to spend an eternity in hell. And I believe that as Christians and conservatives it’s time to take off the gloves and to tell people the truth about this evil, evil religion.”

There’s more. “Homosexuality is an abomination to God. …Islam is wrong, it is a heresy from the pit of hell; Mormonism is wrong, it is a heresy from the pit of hell; Judaism, you can’t be saved being a Jew. You know who said that, by the way. All three of the greatest Jews in the New Testament: Peter, Paul and Jesus. They all said, Judaism won’t do. It’s faith in Jesus Christ.”

This guy is one sermon away from burning the Koran.

It’s not that Perry — who reportedly approved Jeffress as his introducer — was not aware of his views. In August, Perry hosted “The Response,” a huge prayer gathering in which Jeffress was a partner. Another partner was the Rev. C. Peter Wagner of “The New Apostolic Reformation, who told Terry Gross of NPR’s Fresh Air this past week that a tsunami struck Japan because the emperor of Japan had sex with the sun goddess, a power of darkness belonging to the Kingdom of Satan. “The Sun Goddess wants natural disasters to come to Japan,” he said. “Sometimes the hand of God, which is more powerful will prevent them and when he decides to prevent them and when he doesn’t is far beyond anything we can predict.”

If people can be judged by whom they associate with, then Perry is in deep trouble. Candidate Barack Obama realized this in 2008 when he denounced the controversial words of his pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. It was one of the finest moments of his campaign. It’s time for Perry to “take off the gloves” and really sock it to Jeffress. You can’t have a president tolerating this kind of hate speech, much less consorting with those who spew it.

— Hat tip: JP

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Stakelbeck: Muslim Brotherhood Gaining Foothold in U.S. Govt.?

The Muslim Brotherhood is not only powerful in the Middle East.

My latest piece for CBN News examines how the Brotherhood’s American fronts are gaining access to the halls of power in Washington, D.C. as well.

Click on the link above to watch.

— Hat tip: Erick Stakelbeck

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U.S. Accuses Iranians of Plotting to Kill Saudi Envoy

Federal authorities foiled a plot by men linked to the Iranian government to kill the Saudi ambassador to the United States and to bomb the embassies of Saudi Arabia and Israel in Washington, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said in a news conference on Tuesday.

The men accused of plotting the attacks were Manssor Arbab Arbabsiar and Gholam Shakuri, according to court documents filed in federal court in the Southern District of New York. Both men are originally from Iran, Reuters reported.

There is “no basis to believe that any other co-conspirators are present in the U.S.,” Mr. Holder said.

He said the men were connected to the secretive Quds Force, a division of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps that has carried out operations in other countries. He said that money in support of the plot had been transferred through a bank in New York, but that the men had not yet obtained any explosives.

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Berlusconi Passes Development Decree to Romani

Stalemate over Bank of Italy. Amato emerges as possible new governor. Ministers press Berlusconi to choose

ROME — One of those in attendance called it a “mind-boggling” meeting at which next to nothing was decided and nearly everything was postponed as usual. There was no agreement on the Bank of Italy. In a move many see as disingenuous, the task of drafting the development decree was taken from economy ministry and assigned to the plucky Paolo Romani, who now faces an uphill struggle “littered with traps left by Tremonti”, as government sources put it.

In two hours of conversation, headlines and declarations of intent, Silvio Berlusconi put economic development minister Paolo Romani in the driving seat for the journey towards a decree it is hoped will give the Italian economy a shot in the arm and the markets a signal. Many, however, see the move as inconclusive and merely tactical. “In a few days’ time, Tremonti will be asked to lend a hand again, Bank of Italy permitting”, is one minister’s take.

Discussions at Palazzo Grazioli also covered a blanket amnesty. The PM is reported to be weighing up the impact on public opinion, and what revenue an amnesty could generate. In the past few hours, the idea seems to have become more concrete. Whatever the case, the Bank of Italy governorship is the sticking point, or one of them. Umberto Bossi, like Mr Tremonti, wants Vittorio Grilli but Mr Berlusconi insists that he cannot upset Mario Draghi and Giorgio Napolitano. The PM prefers to discuss a trio of candidates, including Lorenzo Bini Smaghi and Fabrizio Sacomanni. Mr Berlusconi is worried that he might have to go back to Europe without a decision “and Sarkozy is waiting to tell me that we cannot keep our pledges”…

English translation by Giles Watson

www.watson.it

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Chewing Gum Helps Swedish Students Learn

Students at elementary school Parkskolan in Älvsbyn, a small town in northern Sweden, chew gum in class, supported by studies that show gum chewing increases concentration and study results. The National Union of Teachers in Sweden (Lärarnas riksförbund) are not impressed, however, and call the decision to allow classroom chewing “offensive” to teachers, according to a report in newspaper Aftonbladet. The school allows chewing gum in certain middle school classrooms, and the permit is dependent on both students’ and parents’ approval. Only sugar-free gum is permitted. The school claims the gum improves students’ performance in school.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Chocoholics Run Lower Risk of Stroke: Study

A fondness for chocolate doesn’t have to be all bad, according to new Swedish research which has shown that the more chocolate consumed, the lower the risk of suffering a stroke. Women who indulge run a significantly lower risk of a stroke than those who refrain, according to the new study carried out by the unit of nutritional epidemiology at Stockholm’s Karolinska Institute and published in the American College of Cardiology medical journal. “Regular consumption of moderate amounts of chocolate can protect against the onset of a stroke,” said researcher Susanna Larsson to Upsala Nya Tidning.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Cyprus: A Political Crisis Out of Control, Press

(ANSAmed) — NICOSIA, OCTOBER 10 — The political life in the Republic of Cyprus seems to be out of control, as following the ambivalent report of the Police on the Mari blast, the confrontation between the Government and the political parties on the political responsibilities of Communist president Dimitris Christofias is pushed to extremes. This is, at least, what all the Greek-Cypriots newspapers are writing (excepting Aravghi — ‘Dawn’ -, mouthpiece of the Communist party Akel). The Police report contained a reference to the Commander and Deputy Commander of the Mari Naval Base Ioannides and Lambrou (both dead in the blast), who were reportedly blamed for the death of people in the explosion. DISY (center-right) President Nikos Anastasiades, as daily Famagusta Gazette reports, spoke of “brainless leaders, conspirators, sick minds and blustering people who do not take up their responsibilities and who do not resign.” EDEK (Social-Democrat) President and President of the House Yiannakis Omirou spoke about “a despicable and insulting report”. DIKO (right) Vice President Nicolas Papadopoulos said that “what is being attempted is to disorient and mislead public opinion” while EVROCO (European Party right) claims that “a dishonest attempt is being made to save the President”. Meanwhile, the leaders of the two main opposition parties, DISY and DIKO, met today to discuss coordinating their action in the aftermath of the Polyviou report. A spokesman said a proposal for the formation of a national salvation government put forward by DIKO would be at the centre of discussions. The spokesman added the party’s proposals have also been sent to all other parties. He said DISY was the first of the recipients to respond and request talks on the proposals. The spokesman said that internal unity will only be restored by the President resigning his post.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Cyprus: Much More Gas Found Offshore Than Expected, Radio

(ANSAmed) — NICOSIA, OCTOBER 11 — Drilling from the Homer Ferrington oil exploration rig of the Texan company Noble Energy has discovered gas off the southern coast of Cyprus, and the field seems to contain 30-40% more than had been predicted, government sources have been quoted by Cypriot radio as saying. Cypriot president Dmitris Christofias will be going to the platform on Thursday to take part in a brief ceremony, added the broadcasters.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Finland’s First Terrorism Case Expands to Include Finnish Citizen

Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) says it now suspects four individuals of engaging in the recruitment and financing of terrorists through the Somali militant group al-Shabab.

NBI inspector Jaakko Christensen says all four suspects are Somalis, though the newest suspect also has Finnish citizenship.

Police say some of the suspects are currently out of the country.

Last Friday police released from custody a 28-year-old woman suspect in the case. She was, however, placed under a travel ban. A new suspect was apprehended in the case on the same day. A 34-year-old male suspect still remains under lock and key.

Police have been investigating the case since last spring. Officials have until December 15 to formally charge the suspects.

— Hat tip: KGS

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France and Germany to Propose Changes to EU Treaties

(AGI) Berlin — France and Germany have agreed to propose “important changes” to EU treaties. It was announced by French President Nicolas Sarkozy at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after talks on the eurozone debt crisis in Berlin. Merkel said “the goal is to have closer and more binding cooperation of eurozone countries” to avoid overspending.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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France: Over 200 Strikes to Hit Transport and Schools

Commuters, train passengers and school pupils can expect problems on Tuesday as five unions call strikes across the country to protest against government cuts. School pupils have also promised to join the action with demonstrations outside schools in Paris and some other cities. Metro and fast RER trains in the capital will suffer some delays, particularly on metro lines 5, 7, 9 and on the busy lines A and B of the RER. Line A hopes to have three trains in four running while line B will have its service cut in half during morning and evening rush hour.

High-speed TGV trains will be disrupted with three out of four trains running on average across the network. François Chérèque, head of the CFDT union, told Canal Plus on Monday that unions wanted to “send the government a message.” “We want to say that it is particularly unjust that salaried employees are being made to pay.” President Sarkozy’s government announced plans in August to find €12 billion ($16.4 billion) of savings as part of the government’s plan to cut the budget deficit to 5.7 percent of gross domestic product in 2011, eventually reaching the European Union target of 3 percent by 2013.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Germany: New Incendiary Device Found on Train Tracks

Another incendiary device was found on train tracks in Berlin on Tuesday, in what may be the latest round in a series of arson attacks on German railways by suspected leftists extremists. On Monday, a device knocked out signals on the busy rail route from Berlin to Hamburg, causing hours of delays as high-speed trains had to be diverted. An extreme leftist group later claimed responsibility in emails to news agencies and on an online forum used by extremists. It wrote it was protesting German involvement in Afghanistan and called for US soldier Bradley Manning, charged with leaking classified documents to Wikileaks, to be released. The so-called “Hekla reception committee” warned of more attacks, saying it wished to see life in Berlin disrupted. That same day, police also said they foiled an attempted attack in a tunnel near Berlin’s main train station after staff stumbled upon suspicious objects described as incendiary agents similar to those used in the arson attack. Police officers defused the devices.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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‘I Only Started Crying Later’: Norway’s Prime Minister Discusses the Utøya Massacre

SPIEGEL: You constantly repeated one phrase in particular: “Norway will respond to this attack with more democracy, more openness …

Stoltenberg: … but not with naiveté!”

SPIEGEL: But didn’t you underestimate the danger emanating from the anti-Islamic scene in your country?

Stoltenberg: We were aware of the fact that we have a potential for violence from the anti-Islamic just as much as from the Islamist camp. Right, left, Christian and Muslim terror groups have much more in common than they do with the democratic part of society. In these cases, the political motive is only secondary. We knew that these circles existed. Incidentally, we in Norway have already experienced politically motivated crimes, such as those committed by neo-Nazis. We’ve had racially motivated murders and an attack on a May 1 demonstration. So, if anything, we’re familiar with right-wing terrorism.

SPIEGEL: Still, immigration is a rather new phenomenon in Norway. Do you believe your country’s large anti-Islamic scene arose under this impression?

SPIEGEL: Wasn’t it also consistent with Norwegian political correctness to remain silent about the problems of a multicultural society?

Stoltenberg: No. That is a myth that some here want to create: that it’s supposedly illegal or unacceptable in Norway to have different opinions on immigration. I completely accept that there are parties with less liberal views on immigration than others.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Italian Blogger Puts UK Defence Secretary in Frame

Key video shows Liam Fox at international meetings with friend posing as adviser

MILAN — An Italian blogger has deepened the clouds over Liam Fox, whose position as Britain’s defence secretary is on the line following awkward revelations about the role of a younger friend. A story that appeared in the Guardian in August led to an inquiry into allegations that Dr Fox repeatedly allowed his former flatmate and best man Adam Werritty, 34, to visit the defence ministry — on 14 occasions over 16 months, claim the opposition — and to take part in international meetings where he was introduced as an “adviser” although he had no official status. Dr Fox is scheduled to speak to Parliament on Monday to clear up doubts that his behaviour might have jeopardised national security or breached the ministerial code. One of the meetings under examination by the inquiry took place in December 2010 in London with Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa. It was filmed by a local television station and the footage was discovered online by Rome-based journalist Filippo Sensi, who writes a satirical blog on communications and politics called Nomfup (an abbreviation of “not my f***ing problem). The film proves that the defence secretary’s friend Adam Werritty was present at the meeting, which Dr Fox had denied. Inevitably, the story ended up on the front page of the Observer, the Guardian’s sister Sunday paper.

ITALIAN BLOGGER — The report says: “The footage was handed to the Observer by Italian blogger Nomfup. Three separate sources have seen the footage and confirmed that they believe Werritty appears in the footage”. Nomfup has posted another video of a meeting with the Sri Lankan president at which Mr Werritty is alleged to have been present. The footage dates from 2009, before Dr Fox became defence secretary. “We found the footage by sifting through sources on the web and the British media contacted us to publish it”, Filippo Sensi told the Corriere over the telephone. “There was no tip-off and no secrecy. We found both videos on YouTube. All we did was put one and one together”, Mr Sensi explained. “Perhaps these videos will be able to help people make their minds up about whether the defence secretary is telling the truth”.

DUBAI — But it’s not just the Nomfup videos that are putting Dr Fox in the firing line…

English translation by Giles Watson

www.watson.it

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Italy: Lombardy Councillor Questioned by Prosecutors in Monza

(AGI) Milan — Lombardy regional councillor Penati said he was questioned by prosecutors in Monza today and told them all he knows. “As I requested, today I have been questioned by the prosecutors in Monza who are investigating my case. I answered all their questions providing a detailed account of my relations with both my co-defendants and, above all, the entrepreneurs who accused me”, Filippo Penati said in a statement released after his 8-and-a-half hour long meeting with the prosecutors. “I told them what I know and I think I made an important contribution to help the judicial bodies that will continue the investigation” Penati added.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Italy: Riots Between University Students in Naples, Two Injured

(AGI) Naples — Two people injured and three reported to police after the riots between left and right wing students in Naples.

Apparently, according to the police, this morning about 30 Casapound (right-wing) members gathered outside the law faculty of the “Federico II” university in Via Porta di Massa, handing out leaflets informing about the students’ right to study and upholding a banner bearing the wording “The University is free” and the symbol of Blocco Studentesco, a Fascism-inspired student movement.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Liberals Skewer SVP Criminal Deportation Plan

A legal study commissioned by Switzerland’s liberal FDP has found that the country risks a destabilizing confrontation with the EU if it approves a Swiss People’s Party (SVP) proposal to deport foreign criminals. Conducted by the University of Freiburg, the research leaves no room for doubt: the SVP’s initiative would land Switzerland in hot water with the EU. Any breach of the principle of freedom of movement for EU citizens would cause Brussels to enact a ‘guillotine clause’, effectively cancelling Switzerland’s bilateral agreements with the union.

“Those bilateral agreements have brought us prosperity and a lot of jobs while allowing us to keep our independence,” said Free Democratic Party (FDP) president Fulvio Pelli on Monday during the presentation of the study in Bern. The FDP strongly opposes the initiative, which calls for the automatic deportation of foreign nationals found guilty of a crime in Switzerland. If passed, the new law would infringe some of the EU’s basic principles, such as discrimination based on nationality, argued Julia Hänni, the law professor who led the study. According to the FDP, any such law would be viewed as a hostile move by the EU, which could take advantage of the situation by pushing Switzerland on other sensitive issues.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Norway Killing Film Slammed

THE trailer for a low-budget film based on the Norway massacre and showing young people screaming and running away from a gunman has sparked outcry from survivors of July’s mass killing.

A 70-second movie trailer for a film titled Utoya Island — due for release in 2012 — has appeared on YouTube to widespread criticism.

— Hat tip: Nilk

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Portugal: Boss of Madeira in Narrow Victory

Diário de Notícias, 10 October 2011

The master of Madeira obtains “his narrowest victory.” For the first time, reports Diário de Notícias, Alberto João Jardim, who has ruled the island since 1978, failed to gain an absolute majority of votes, but managed to preserve a majority of seats in the autonomous region’s parliament — a condition that he himself had imposed for not tendering his resignation.

The vote was closely followed in Portugal, both because the popular and populist Jardim is a controversial figure, and because Madeira’s financial situation is viewed as a cause for concern. Over the last few months, a debt of 6 billion euros, which Jardim had kept secret from the public until last summer, has added to pressure on Portugal. As the weekly Visão recently remarked, “Today, Madeira is for Portugal what Greece is for Europe.” However, “it remains to be seen if Portugal will adopt deal with Madeira, in the same way that Finland dealt with Greece”: by imposing conditions in return for aid.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Radical Islam Has Settled Into Ireland

by Valentina Colombo

Last August the Irish Naturalization and Immigration Service refused to approve an entry visa for Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the Egyptian cleric who is the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and the one of the most prominent sheikhs of the Arab satellite TV, al-Jazeera. In his books, al-Qaradawi has defended suicide bombings not as terrorism but as legal “resistance”; advocated the death penalty for homosexuals and apostates, and condemned secular Arab countries as unbelievers.

Irish Immigration officials seem to have blocked his entry after al-Qaradawi on the grounds of his description of suicide-bombings to Israelis as “martyrdom in the name of God.” The Irish ban follows similar ones in the United States and the United Kingdom. Until Egyptian President Hosni Mubabrak’s last February, he was banned from entering Egypt as well.

The problem is that al-Qaradawi is also the head of the European Council of Fatwa and Research (ECFR), founded in March 1997, and based on Roebuck Road, 19, Clonskeagh, Dublin — leading the Irish decision to look at the very least naïve.

As stated in the official website of the Council, its main objectives are: “approaching and bringing together scholars who live in Europe and trying to unify their legal opinions regarding the most important legal issues; issuing fatwas that meet the collective needs of Muslims in Europe, solving problems and regulating their interaction with the European community, all within the rules and objectives of the sharia; publish studies and research to resolve the legal issues that arise in Europe in order to achieve the objectives of the sharia and the interests of all people.”

In a nutshell, Sharia Law had already come to Europe but nobody seemed to have realized it.

The Council was founded on the initiative of the Federation of Islamic Organisations in Europe (FIOE), ideologically linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. You only need to look at the list of its members and you will find that its president is Yusuf al-Qaradawi; and that one of its most prominent members, Rached al-Ghannouchi — the leader of the Tunisian party al Nahdha, linked to the Muslim Brotherhood — has spared no attacks against Israel and against liberal intellectuals. The deputy president is Faisal Mawlawi, who, in 2004 on the site www.islam-online.net said that, “martyrdom operations are totally different from suicide which is forbidden. Anyone who dies in such missions as a martyr, God bless him … I invite every Palestinian not to hesitate in carrying out such operations .”

The Council also seems given to issuing fatwas, or religious edicts, not yet available in English on its website. Although fatwas have, in general, a universal but non-coercive value for Muslims, in the field of Islamic extremism, it is clear that whoever goes to a mufti with a question will then follow his advice. The first fatwa is about the permissibility of a Muslim to live permanently in a non-Islamic country. The fatwa reads as follows: “Our opinion is that a Muslim should never live among non-Muslims if it compromises his Islamic identity, unless you have no other choice. So if a Muslim lives in a place where his life, religion and those for which it is responsible are in danger then he must migrate […]”. The non-Islamic territory is presumably Europe. Fatwa four concerns the punishment for those who commit the crime of apostasy, and notes that the penalty is not always death, which should only be applied when the Muslim who has abandoned Islam announces it publicly and criticises his former religion.

At present the website of the European Council for Fatwa and Research is only available in its Arabic version, and none of its members is European. It looks more like an Islamic “government” in Europe. What is most worrisome is that in Europe an Islamic legal institution has been issuing fatwas for a long time without respecting universal ethical values — foremost the sanctity of life — and which considers European institutions as mere tools to be used to win the power. It is high time that Europe in general, and Ireland in particular, start banning not only some clerics from entering it, as Ireland did, but also the institutions and associations linked to the same people not only dangerous for Europeans but also for the majority of Muslims living in Europe who may not wish to be radicalized.

— Hat tip: JP

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Ratification Hangs in Balance: Europe Tensely Awaits Euro Vote in Slovakia

Slovakia is expected to vote on the expansion of the euro rescue fund on Tuesday. The debate preceeding the vote has been a divisive one. And the parliament’s support for the reform is anything but a given. So what would happen if lawmakers in Bratislava block the measure?

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Rich Brits Plot Escape to France

More wealthy Britons are planning to flee what they believe to be an over-taxed and crime-ridden UK, with France the most favoured destination, according to a survey published by British bank Lloyds TSB. The survey, published on Monday, found that 17 percent of those with more than £250,000 ($391,025) in savings and investments wanted to move abroad in the next two years, up from 14 percent six months earlier.

The most popular destination for the rich exiles was France (21 percent), followed by Spain (15 percent) and the US (11 percent). Three-quarters of those questioned (73 percent) thought that crime was a bigger problem in Britain than other developed countries. “Sadly, it seems August’s riots, tax increases and a rising cost of living have cast a pall over life in the UK for some wealthy people,” said Nicholas Boys-Smith, managing director of Lloyds TSB International Wealth in a statement.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Romania: Crooked Judges in Corruption Scandal

România libera, 10 October 2011

The Romanian justice system has been rocked by yet another scandal, announces România libera in a report bearing the headline: “Rotten system. 11 supreme court judges charged with corruption.” On 7 October, the National Anti-corruption Directorate opened an investigation of 11 High Court of Justice and Cassation magistrates suspected of having received presents and other favours from Florin Chiriac, a Romanian business man living in France, who has been implicated in a number of cases currently before the courts, explains the Bucharest daily, which adds that three other judges are now the subject of a preliminary investigation.

“It is an area of corruption which has caused immense damage to the country in the form of biased verdicts that have already cost the [state] budget several billion euros,” notes the România libera editorial, “and which is the subject of regular complaints from the EU and the United States.” As a result of corruption and a lack of professionalism in the judiciary, “businesses are choosing to open operations in other countries,” complains the newspaper, which adds that Romania “is a country where you cannot die innocent if you do not pay bribes to the judiciary.”

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Spain: Lavazza Deal With Areas for Opening of 14 Cafes

(ANSAmed) — MADRID, OCTOBER 10 — The concession catering group Areas and the Italian company Lavazza have signed a strategic agreement to supply coffee and open cafes in Spain. Sources at the Spanish company quoted today by the media say that the deal means that Lavazza will be the sole supplier of cafes managed by Areas in Spain, with both groups due to invest 4 million euros between now and 2012 to open 14 bars bearing the Caffe’ di Roma and Lavazza Espression brand in Areas outlets. The collaboration between the two companies began in 2010, when Areas opened a Caffe’ di Roma in Madrid’s Barajas airport. The deal will see Lavazza supply Areas with one thousand tonnes of coffee in 2012.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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UK: Another Adherent to Radical Islam Welcomed by the Guardian

Riazatt Butt, CiF’s Religious Affairs correspondent, pens a weekly column called “Divine Dispatches” in the Belief Section of CiF, which represents a round-up of sorts on religious news in the UK and around the world. While the latest edition of the column, on Oct. 6th, curiously omitted any mention that the following day would be Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, even more worth noting is the fact that filling in for Butt this week was Nadiya Takolia of iEngage.

Who is iEngage? Well, they claim to help empower and encourage British Muslims within local communities to be more actively involved in British media and politics. However, iEngage’s idea of politically empowering Muslims has a very narrow and decidedly illiberal focus. Indeed, the group puts a significant amount of energy into opposing moderate and liberal Muslims, while defending radical Islamist organisations.

[…]

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Guardian Appoints Engage Employee as Stand in Religious Affairs Columnist

Last week, the Guardian’s Divine Dispatches: A Religion Round Up was written, not by their Religious Affairs correspondent, Riazatt Butt, but by Nadiya Takolia. Takiolia appears generally to be writing for the Guardian, so I wonder if she has been given an internship. Nadiya Takolia works for Engage. Engage (or “iEngage”) is an NGO which attacks Muslim liberals while defending hate preachers and Islamist political parties and institutions, while attack the police for arresting terrorist suspects.

Engage was set up, in part, to be the secretariat of an All Party Parliamentary Group on Islamophobia. It lost the APPG gig following a highly critical independent report by the sociologist Chris Allen, commissioned by the APPG itself.

Under normal circumstances, it would be absolutely unthinkable for the Guardian to accept a column from an employee of an organisation which attacks Muslim liberals. Still less would the Guardian ordinarily allow such a person to deputise for their Religious Affairs correspondent. However, these are not normal circumstances. Because Engage is linked closely to Islamist politics — one of its founders is Mohammed Ali Harrath, of the Tunisian An Nadha party — different rules apply.

Unsurprisingly, the column leads with a link to Islamophobia Watch: a website run by former Workers Revolutionary Party activist, Bob Pitt: which similarly attacks Muslim liberals while defending hate preachers and Islamist political parties and institutions. The column also discusses polygamous marriages, which Takolia tells us:

“are legal but strictly regulated by Islamic law (for example, a man must get the permission of previous wives, must support them all financially and must treat them all equally)”

The Left, progressive politics in general, is a club. Membership of the club is determined, not so much by what you believe, but who will vouch for you. Because the Guardian has, institutionally, decided that Islamist politics are part of the great progressive Left tradition, it is natural that an employee of an Islamist institution which attacks Muslim liberals should be asked to edit its religion column. This may appear incongruous to you or me, but for such an appointment to raise eyebrows at the Guardian, it would have to conclude that Islamist politics is inimical to liberalism, and that Islamists oppose their values.

The nature of the Left’s alliances is what shapes its dynamics. Once it has made those partnerships, absolutely nothing will shake them. To abandon its alliances would mean that it was wrong to have made them in the first place. To criticise an ally’s conduct is implicitly to criticise others who still treat them as an ally. As a result, many of those with doubts about such alliances, working in progressive institutions, regarding themselves as part of the Left, will keep quiet about their doubts. Others will conclude that any criticism of their Islamist allies must be “Right wing” and probably also racist.

So, for example, when the true nature of CagePrisoners’ Salafi Jihadi politics became know, thanks to Gita Sahgal, Amnesty simply rejected all criticism, and carried on working jointly with the organisation. Gita Sahgal became a hate figure for part of the Left. Similarly, when Engage’s true nature was uncovered, its supporters — Jack Straw, Stephen Timms, Simon Hughes and Sadiq Khan — rode to its rescue. It was really only following Chris Allen’s devastating report that they took a step back. However, you can be sure that, in time, they’ll return to their open support of the organisation. Just wait and see.

This is not an issue which can be won by argument. The problem is institutional in nature.

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Muslim Youth Projects to be Awarded With a Special Posthumous Award for Birmingham Riot Victims

On the evening of Tuesday 11th October, winners of this year’s coveted Young Muslim Beacon Awards 2011 will be announced at an awards ceremony at the Palace of Westminster.

The Young Muslim Beacon Awards, a project of the Youth Affairs Committee of the Muslim Council of Britain, is designed to recognise the very best of projects and organisations working in our communities to help improve the lives of young Muslims locally, regionally and nationally. Only three projects will be awarded for their outstanding work with young Muslims; one award per category.

The awards ceremony will be jointly hosted by the Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain Mr Farooq Murad and Lord Sheikh of Cornhill with Chief Guest, The Speaker of the House of Commons The Rt. Hon. John Bercow MP presenting the awards. The attendees include parliamentarians, Ambassadors and High Commissioners, young Muslims, civic, community and religious leaders from across the country. The event is sponsored by Al Muntada Trust, a leading charity in serving communities in the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa.

The three judges deciding the winners after an open nomination process, were Farooq Murad (Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain), Neil Jameson (Executive Director of London Citizens) and James Cathcart (CEO of the British Youth Council). The ceremony will also honour Haroon Jahan, Shazad Ali and Abdul Musavir for Model Citizenship; three young Muslims who paid the ultimate sacrifice standing up to defend and protect their community from looters during riots in Birmingham, in August 2011. The special awards will be received on the night by Abdul Quddos, eldest brother of Abdul Musavir and Shazad Ali and Tariq Jahan, father of Haroon Jahan.

Speaking before the awards ceremony, Farooq Murad, Secretary General of the MCB said: “We will witness the best of those working in our towns and cities, making a difference to lives of young people in our country. We will also be honouring three young Muslims who tragically lost their lives defending property during riots which engulfed much of the country. Their sacrifice must not be in vain and we must strengthen our bonds as people from the bottom up. That’s why these awards are so important in recognising the important work of local projects and organisations working — often voluntary — helping to build a better Britain for all”.

For more information visit: www.ymba.co.uk

— Hat tip: JP

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Bosnia: Radical Tunisian Muslim Deported as ‘Security Threat’

Sarajevo, 10 Oct. (AKI) — A radical Tunisian Muslim, Karray Kamel Bin Ali, also known as Abu Hamza, was repatriated Monday after Bosnian authorities judged him a “threat to national security”, local media reported.

Bin Ali has been banned from re-entering Bosnia for five years, Bosnian officials said.

A former ‘mujahadeen’ who came to Bosnia during its bloody 1992-1995 war to fight on the side of local Muslims, he had served time in prison in the central city of Zenica.

Since April he had been held in a detention centre near Sarajevo, fighting extradition.

Thousands of mujahadeen came from Islamic countries to fight on the side of local Muslims during Bosnia’s 1992-1995 war. Many married local women, got Bosnian citizenship and remained in the country after the war.

But according to western intelligence sources, they have indoctrinated local youths with radical Islam and have recruited and trained operatives linked to the Al-Qaeda terrorist network.

Local authorities have described these activities as a threat to national security and have stripped several hundred former mujahadeen of their Bosnian citizenship.

Many are awaiting extradition amid protests by Bosnian human rights organisations.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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EU: Serbia: Commission to Approve Candidate Status Soon

(ANSAmed) — BRUSSELS, OCTOBER 10 — The European Commission will next Wednesday give the green light for Serbia to be given the status of candidate country for European accession. In terms of the opening of talks, the likeliest scenario is for Brussels to implement a new check on the progress being made by Belgrade in six months.If the assessment is positive, the EU could agree to talks beginning before the summer of 2012. A number of diplomatic sources in Brussels believe this to be the most probable outcome, on the eve of the publication of annual reports by the European Commission on countries concerned by the enlargement of the EU. Brussels will recognise “that Serbia has made significant progress in the last year, starting with the arrest of the two remaining men hunted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic,” sources say. In its yearly report, Brussels mist give a balanced account of the progress made by Belgrade in terms of reforms for European integration, based on criteria demanded by the EU, and not considering the resolution of the Kosovo issue as a pre-condition. The proposal by the European Commission, which will be studied next Wednesday by the board of EU Commissioners, will then be reviewed by member states at the next EU Council meeting in December, if it proves to be in favour of giving Serbia the status of candidate country, During his recent visit to Belgrade, the French Minister for European Affairs, Jean Leonetti, did not hide the fact that Germany is showing greater concern than France. Both London and Berlin want to see steps forward taken with Kosovo before Serbia is granted candidate country status.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Sweden Blames Albanians for Anti-Albanian Hatred

Swedish FM Bildt at an EU meeting in Luxembourg Monday blamed lawlessness and anti-Albanian hatred in north Kosovo on Albanian authorities in Pristina, contrary to Germany and Nato, which pin the situation on Belgrade. “Authorities in Pristina have failed to gain the confidence of people in north Kosovo,” he said.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Caroline Glick: The Forgotten Christians of the East

On Sunday night, Egyptian Copts staged what was supposed to be a peaceful vigil at Egypt’s state television headquarters in Cairo. The 1,000 Christians represented the ancient Christian community of some 8 million whose presence in Egypt predates the establishment of Islam by several centuries. They gathered in Cairo to protest the recent burning of two churches by Islamic mobs and the rapid escalation of state-supported violent attacks on Christians by Muslim groups since the overthrow of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in February.

According to Coptic sources, the protesters Sunday night were beset by Islamic attackers who were rapidly backed up by military forces. Between 19 and 40 Copts were killed by soldiers and Muslim attackers. They were run over by military vehicles, beaten, shot and dragged through the streets of Cairo…

— Hat tip: Caroline Glick

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Christians in Peril

Egypt’s failure to protect the Copts reflects the situation for Christians throughout the Middle East.

The violent clashes in Egypt that have resulted in at least 24 deaths have highlighted the deepening plight of the country’s Coptic Christians. The Copts, who constitute about 10 per cent of Egypt’s 85 million-strong population, have been subjected to a continuous campaign of sectarian attacks since the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak last February. Islamist militants linked to Egypt’s Salafist sect have been blamed for orchestrating the campaign of violence that has resulted in the destruction of several Coptic churches and led to hundreds of Coptic worshippers being killed or injured.

At a time when Christians throughout the Middle East find themselves increasingly under attack from radical Islamic groups, the failure of Egypt’s interim government to afford the Copts adequate protection does not bode well for the country’s future political development. The elections which are due to commence next month to elect a new parliament and president are supposed to herald a new beginning for a nation whose political institutions have been stifled by decades of authoritarian rule. But the prospects of Egypt developing into a modern, democratic state will be severely undermined if its Christian population feels too intimidated to participate in the electoral process. It is therefore very much in the interests of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, the body responsible for steering Egypt to democracy, to offer the Copts the protection they deserve.

Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, won plaudits this week for his robust condemnation of the “mindless and godless” violence that has brought misery to large swathes of Zimbabwe, not least the Christian community. This might also be a good moment for him and other world leaders to highlight the plight of Christians in the Middle East.

[Reader comment by sean mark at 09:28 am on 11 October 2011]

Christians are under attack in Europe too, and not just by muslims but by people who wish to eradicate every last bit of christian history and heritage. Be it Thomas the Tank engine or AD/BC or wearing a cross at work or talking about being a christian or displaying Christian CDs in a Christian cafe or having the right who uses your business (If you are christian B & B owners) or Happy Christmas becoming Seasons greetings or Christmas becoming Winterval and muslim mayors trying to ban Santa Clauses from town centres, the list goes on…

How far away are we from Chrstians being slaughtered by the state? That would depend on how long it takes for demographic Jihad to be achieved.

— Hat tip: JP

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Coptic Church Condemns Attack, Muslims Pelt Funeral Procession With Bricks

by Mary Abdelmassih

(AINA) — The Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt issued a statement on October 10, expressing horror at the events of yesterday in Maspero, where 24 Copts were killed and over 200 and wounded. The church stressed that the Christian faith rejects violence. The church blasted the government for failing to find solutions to “problems that occur repeatedly and go unpunished.” The Church demanded from all Copts to fast continuously for three days starting tomorrow “in order to have peace in Egypt.”

Some interpreted this demand, which the church has made only three times in its long history, as a way to implore “God’s help for the Copts,” commented Coptic activist and writer Nader Shoukry.

In Cairo, thousands of Copts marched to attend the funeral of the victims of what they termed the “October 9 Military Massacre.” They congregated in front of the Coptic hospital where most of the dead and injured were transported, and which was attacked the night before by Muslims, who hurled bricks and Molotov Cocktails at the victims’ families.

A funeral service presided by Pope Shenouda III was held for the Copts killed in Maspero, at 11 AM at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Abbasiya, Cairo, and was attended by over 10,000 Copts. The funeral was for five Copts only, as the rest of the victims are awaiting for autopsies, on the advice of Coptic lawyers. “This is to safeguard the rights of the dead,” said attorney Dr. Ehab Ramzy, “otherwise the families could lose their case. We need proof.”

After the funeral, while still inside the Cathedral, the enraged Copts chanted “down with the junta rule and down with Tantawi.”

According to priests and Coptic lawyers who were present at the Coptic Hospital, where the victims were brought, the death certificates issued by the authorities were misleading and did not reflect the true cause of death, which might let the assailants get away with the crime. Certificates showed the cause of death as being “stab wounds” and “cardiac arrest caused by fear.”

The families insisted on having the autopsies done, which were carried out on 17 bodies lying in the Coptic hospital. Independent doctors observed those who came from the Public Morgue to carry out the autopsies.

Dr. Maged Lewis, a director at the Forensic Medicine Institute, commented that he had never seen corpses in this deplorable state before. “Bodies were mashed and bones were crushed; many had fractures and laceration of the intestines; while in others, death was caused by gun shots.”

Eyewitnesses reported the army disposed of nine bodies by throwing them in the Nile. Two bodies remain unidentified, making the number of killed uncertain.

After midnight today, friends and relatives of the dead, carried the 17 caskets from the Coptic hospital to St. Mark’s Cathedral for the second funeral service. Near Ghamra bridge, bricks were hurled at the cortege, but the procession carried on to the Cathedral.

The caskets were taken to St. Mary’s Church in “October 6” district, where they laid beside the 12 Copts who died in Embaba, defending their Church against Salafist attacks on May 7, 2011 (AINA 5-8-2011).

On their way back after the burial ,the mourners were attacked by armed thugs who blocked the way and hurled Molotov cocktails at them; gun shots were heard. They sought shelter and called the army emergency phone line for help, they waited until the morning but no one came.

The Coptic Church considers people who lost their lives on account of being Christian as “martyrs” and they will be buried together in a collective grave.

— Hat tip: Mary Abdelmassih

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Egypt: Giza Bishop: No Law or Justice

(ANSAmed) — VATICAN CITY, OCTOBER 10 — “Christians ask only to be able to live peacefully in their country. I must also say that, along with Christian demonstrators, there were also Muslims demanding the right of Christians to live in peace and not to see their churches burned down or destroyed”. If the police “had taken up a position against those who destroyed the churches, we would not have reached this situation”. These are some of the comments made by the Catholic Bishop of Giza, Antonios Aziz Mina, who has been speaking to Radio Vaticana.

“Sadly, these criminals who destroyed the church were not confronted by any authority forbidding them from carrying out such an act or bring them to justice,” the Bishop said. “When they attacked the church and destroyed it, the government and the army attempted to bring peace to both sides and to rebuild the church with army funds. But this is not the solution! Things must be done according to the law: those who do wrong pay the price”.

For Christians in Egypt, Monsignor Aziz Mina added, “more than fear, there are concerns for the future: we do not know where we will go, because if we go on like this, there is no law, no justice. While the first element of a stable state is that of being able to live under the umbrella of law”.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Egypt: Anti-Copt Violence, Consequence of 30 Years of Bad Policies, Said Catholic Priest

The military is incapable of dealing with the situation. Egyptian Catholic Church spokesman appeals to Western government to prevent the country’s implosion and a drift towards fundamentalism.

Cairo (AsiaNews) — “Clashes between Coptic demonstrators and soldiers yesterday are the consequence of 30 years of policies based on repression and security. without laws favourable to society and education, tensions will continue to rise,” said Fr Rafic Greiche, spokesman for the Egyptian Catholic Church. In an interview with AsiaNews, he called on Western nations to prevent Egypt from imploding.

For the clergyman, Egypt’s military is doing nothing to find a solution to the conflict pitting Copts against Muslims, which is largely a function of vague laws on religious buildings. “In small villages, there are many fundamentalists, and the rivalry with Christians is very strong,” Fr Greiche said. “De facto, there is no law regulating the construction of places of worship, and whatever little that does exist complicates matters. Everyone wants to apply them as they wish.”

Today, the ruling military Supreme Council is holding an emergency meeting to shed light on what led to yesterday’s violence, which left 36 people dead and 220 wounded.

In urging the population to remain calm, Prime Minister Essam Sharaf warned that Egypt was in “danger”. In his view, a conspiracy is trying to bring chaos to the country.

However, the “military are still acting like policemen,” Fr Greiche said. Sharaf’s words say nothing about how to solve the problem. “Like under Mubarak, rulers care only about keeping people quiet. Egyptians however are afraid about the future and fear that no one may be able to resolve the situation,” he added.

Unless people receive an education centred on coexistence and the common good, the Arab spring will prove useless. “In the past,” the priest explained, “no one cared about training young people in how to put into practice social policies. They all thought about their own careers. Few changes came from abroad.”

In addition to the social tensions between Christians and Muslims that have long plagued Egyptian society, now there is fear that the country might drift towards fundamentalism if the Muslim Brotherhood wins in November’s elections.

“Copts’ demonstration will not stop,” Fr Greiche noted. “They want to show everyone that they are an important minority and that they cannot be kept out of the new Egypt’s political life.”

Lastly, the priest has a plea for the international community, which is doing nothing tangible to help Arab countries, except to confirm existing economic agreements signed with the old regimes.

“Europe and Western nations are afraid of intervening,” he said. “They respect the will of the existing government, but that is stupid. The world has become a small village. Instability in the Middle East and anti-Christian hatred can easily spread to Europe. No country is immune from this danger.” (S.C.)

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Egypt Protests: Government Faces Accusations of Deliberately Encouraging Sectarian Hatred

Egypt’s military leaders are under intense international pressure to explain the deaths of more than 20 Christian protesters after the army was accused of deliberately fostering sectarian hatred to disguise a power grab.

Video footage and independent testimony that emerged on Monday called into question army claims that its soldiers acted in self-defence when they killed 26 protesters, the vast majority of them Christian Copts, in central Cairo on Sunday evening. Although Coptic protesters threw stones at soldiers during the confrontation, a number of witnesses, many of them Muslim, claimed that the army’s response was either wholly unwarranted or grotesquely disproportionate. A number of the dead were crushed to death by an armoured car that ploughed into a group of protesters as they sang hymns and held aloft the Cross, according to several accounts that were given additional credence by the condition of several corpses in a Coptic mortuary.

The soldiers were also accused of opening fire at the protesters, prompting accusations that orders had been given to kill without discrimination. Coptic leaders yesterday called on their followers to observe a three-day fast, but in many parts of Egypt’s Christian community, mourning has already given way to anger. Senior clergymen pointed to the fact that the army had worked in tandem with a rabble of plainclothes men of unknown provenance to attack Christian protesters as evidence of a plot against the religious minority.

“We are accusing the army and the police who used vagabonds, a rabble force of street fighters, to attack the demonstrators,” Fr Rafic Greiche, official spokesman for the Catholic Church in Egypt said in a statement said to the charity Aid to the Church in Need. “They were armed with swords, sticks and stones — some of them had rifles it seems. They did not have to use force. It was a peaceful demonstration.” Copts who participated in the protests claimed that the amy was deliberately trying to demonise the community as violent agitators in order to provide justification for remaining in power. “This is not about Muslim-Christian hatred, it is about the army trying to start a civil conflict for its own reasons, and we all know what those reasons are,” said a protester who would only give her name as Mariam.

Claims that the army was trying to discredit Egypt’s Copts, which account for ten per cent of the country’s 80 million people, were given weight by state television’s coverage of the protests. News readers put out appeals for “honest Egyptians” to rush to the scene of the violence to protect the soldiers against Christian “mobs”, while soldiers were shown denouncing the Copts as “sons of dogs”. Observers suggested that the army could be trying to deflect growing anger from the military leadership towards the Christian minority, which has long suffered from persecution and violent attacks by Islamist radicals.

The violence came amid accusations that Egypt’s generals, who took charge after the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak in February, are deliberately delaying the country’s transition to a civilian democracy. They have unveiled plans that effectively postpone presidential elections, which the opposition wants held next April, until the end of next year or early 2013. The repeated delays have convinced a growing number in the protest movement behind Mr Mubarak’s downfall that they have swapped the rule of a tyrant for an incipient military dictatorship. Increasingly, calls for the army’s overthrow are being heard on the streets, increasing the pressure on the generals to deflect public anger towards other targets such as the Christians.

Western politicians denounced Sunday’s violence as unacceptable. “It’s very important that the Egyptian authorities reaffirm freedom of worship in Egypt,” William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, said. But, although it called for an investigation, Egypt’s interim civilian administration chose to employ the tactics of the Mubarak regime by blaming the violence on a “foreign” plot designed to cause the “fall and fragmentation of the state”. Opposition leaders, while choosing not to lay the blame for the clashes on the army, warned that a repeat of Sunday’s violence could have catastrophic consequences for Egypt. “This is a huge crisis that could end in a civil clash,” said Amr Moussa, a leading contender for the presidency. “An immediate investigation committee must be formed with immediate results.” Although there was no repeat of Sunday’s violence, Christian protests were reported in a number of Egyptian cities and towns on Monday.

— Hat tip: JP

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Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood, ‘Wrong Time’ For Copt Protests

(ANSAmed) — ROME — In a statement released yesterday reported by the Egyptian online press, Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood (in the photo the Supreme Guide Mohammed Badie) criticised protests by Coptic Christians on Sunday night which ended in a bloodbath in Cairo, saying that “it was the wrong time” to protest. The statement went on to urge Christians to wait for the elections scheduled for November to produce “an elected civilian government”. While denouncing that “internal and external” forces are trying to cause the revolution to fail, the powerful group stated that “legitimate demands have their channels, methods and timeframes” and that “the entire Egyptian population has demands, not just the Copts”.

Therefore “it was the wrong time to make these demands”. The Muslim Brotherhood added: we have “a transitional government and the general circumstances are not ‘normal’, therefore good sense calls for patience”. The “injustices” denounced by Copts should be attributed “to the toppled regime” of Hosni Mubarak, and they “affect Muslims, too”. The brotherhood urged Christians to wait for elections, scheduled to take place on November 28, and for the installations of an “elected civilian government”. Regarding the elections, they also underlined that no one should be allowed to postpone “free elections in Egypt”. Legal again after 50 years (they were banned during the presidency of Gamal Abdel Nasser), the Muslim Brotherhood founded the ‘Freedom and Justice Party’ and aims to win half of the 498 seats in the People’s Assembly, the Lower House of Egyptian Parliament.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Morrocans Mosque Imams Protest Tight Government Controls on Preaching

RABAT, Morocco — Dozens of preachers from mosques across Morocco protested Monday in the capital over tight controls on their preaching, the first time such a demonstration has been allowed to go forward. The small protest was significant because Morocco keeps a very close watch on the nation’s mosques to guard against extremist thought like that of al-Qaida. Imams are given prepared sermons to read during weekly Friday prayers and are not permitted to deviate from the text.

Police attempted to disperse the protest in front of the parliament, tussling with the imams and briefly detaining three of them. The protest of around 50 imams dressed in traditional long robes and skull caps was eventually allowed to proceed away from the parliament on Rabat’s main boulevard. “The imams of the mosques demand freedom, dignity, justice and their full rights,” said one of the banners held by the protesters. Protests by imams are unprecedented in this North African kingdom, where King Mohammed VI is the final arbiter on all matters of religion in the country.

Imams attempted to protest in June and were quickly attacked and dispersed by police, shocking many in this country of 32 million. “We want liberty and dignity,” said Ait Lashgar Hussein, a preacher for the last 28 years in the city of Marrakech. “I am just demanding my rights.” Many of the imams say they have been threatened and intimidated by police since the June attempted demonstration. The imams said their demands included higher salaries, permission to give their own sermons and to be consulted on matters of religion and law.

The king’s preeminent role in religious affairs is enshrined in the new constitution and is seen as a bulwark against the extremist thought found elsewhere in North Africa. The protesters also carried a Moroccan flag and pictures of the king to show their support. They blamed the minister of religious affairs for their dissatisfaction.

— Hat tip: JP

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Tunisia: Elections: Tension Sky-High in the Country

(ANSAmed) — Tension is giving way to fear in Tunisia, where demonstrations and protests are being held daily, where the most trifling of motives can lead to an outpouring that spreads fear of the return of the days of the “revolution”, when those who risked their lives to demand passionately the end of the dictatorship found themselves in close proximity with those who even then were writing demands in the blank ink of religious hatred and animated by the simple possibility of stealing. Sunday’s clashes between young fundamentalists and police were triggered by the broadcast of the film “Persepolis”, the Iranian manifesto of democracy and reform, on Nessma TV, which, in order to ensure its full comprehension by a local audience, had the film dubbed in Tunisian dialect. This proved too much for members of Ettahrir, a party that has been banned for its declared desire to turn Tunisia into an Islamic state and even a caliphate.

The explosion of violence had a religious edge, but also a social one, as when the “barbus” were forced to retreat by police charges from a university campus to the entrance of a mosque, they were joined by a groups of youths from a nearby working-class area of the city, who threw rocks at police, causing the latter to find themselves under fire from both sides.

So with religious demands on one side, and those of people demanding a social renaissance on the other, in the middle is a state that seems not to know how to respond other than with force. But the Tunisia of recent days, which is edging closer to the vote for the Constituent Assembly, is a tinderbox on other fronts too. One example is the rejection of the niqab in universities supported by secular students, and attempts by fundamentalists to oppose the stance with force and threats.

There is also the fear that the vote and the potential tensions between parties could bring the return to the streets of the “casseurs”, the thousands of youths who laid waste to the city in January, looting and sacking. Evidence of these fears is apparent in the supermarkets, where shelves are beginning to empty, with water and long-lasting milk the main elements being hoarded by customers. When bottles and milk cartons run out, physical clashes even break out, or, when customers are acting together, there are protests against the supermarkets, whose managers find themselves in great danger, as occurred in a Carrefour store in La Fayette. The government is moving to rectify the situation (50 million litres of mineral water are due to arrive from Italy) but little can be done against collective hysteria.

The situation is also significantly influenced by the war in Libya, where lorries are heading, paradoxically, laden with water and milk, which are being sold across the border like gold dust, and as a result gradually disappearing from Tunisia.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Israel Demolishes Mosque in Jordan Valley

West Bank, (Pal Telegraph)-Israeli occupation forces early Tuesday demolished a mosque for the third time in the area of Khirbet Irza in Wadi El-Maleh, north of the Jordan Valley.

According to head of Wadi Al-Maleh village council, Aref Daraghma, more than five Israeli troops accompanied by military bulldozer demolished today at morning a 60-square-meter mosque built by Palestinian residents. He pointed out that Israeli authorities issued a demolition order to the mosque for the third time under the pretext of being built in a prohibited area. It is noteworthy that Israel used to demolish Muslims’ mosques in the occupied West Bank as part of its unfair plan that aims to annex the area to its settlements.

— Hat tip: JP

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Israeli Prisons Are Worse Than Auschwitzes of the Nazis, Says PA

A Palestinian Authority deputy minister has accused Israel of having worse prison conditions than “the Auschwitzes of the Nazis.” Ziad Abu Ein belittled the Holocaust by using the term “the Auschwitzes” three times in two sentences during his PA TV interview.

The PA as policy repeatedly compares Israel to the Nazis, and continuously reiterates the libel that Israel performs medical experiments and tortures Palestinian prisoners. Palestinian Media Watch reported in May that the PA accused Israel of doing Mengele-like experiments on imprisoned Palestinians. (See this and additional examples below.)

The following is PA Deputy Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs Ziad Abu Ein’s statement that Israeli prisons were worse than “the Auschwitzes of the Nazis”:

“Israel forgets that we are now in the 21st century and that the conditions of our Palestinian prisoners are worse than the Auschwitzes of the Nazis, where Jewish detainees were held. If we return to the pictures of the Auschwitzes, how [Jews] were on beds and so on in the Auschwitzes — in our case, the beds were only introduced in the 1990s, and it was [only] a metal bed.”

[PA TV (Fatah), Oct. 6, 2011]

Contrary to this accusation, a released Palestinian prisoner stated last year that the prisoners in Israeli prisons “lack nothing,” and the official PA daily likewise described in detail how Palestinian prisoners are allowed to study while serving time, reporting that “prisoners in occupation prisons complete university studies and obtain MA and Ph.D. degrees.” (See full texts below.)

— Hat tip: J-PD

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Israel to Release 1,000 Palestinian Prisoners Including Marwan Barghouti

Deal will reportedly include release of most notorious Palestinian terrorists, including former head of the Fatah Tanzim Marwan Barghouti; 450 prisoners would be freed as Shalit would be released in 1st phase while remaining 550 would be freed upon Shalit’s return home

— Hat tip: KGS

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Netanyahu Announces Deal to Free Shalit

JERUSALEM — Israel and Hamas have reached a tentative agreement on a proposal to exchange Palestinian prisoners for an Israeli soldier held captive for more than five years, both sides said Tuesday. The Israeli cabinet was meeting in emergency session to discuss it.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, who summoned all 29 Cabinet ministers to vote on the agreement concerning the fate of the captive soldier, Staff. Sgt. Gilad Shalit, went on Israeli television beforehand to announce it, a sign that he was confident of Cabinet approval.

“If all goes according to plan, Gilad will be returning to Israel in the coming days,” Mr. Netanyahu said.

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‘Occupation Forces Trying to Change Historical Sites’

MUSCAT The holy shrines of Palestine, particularly the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of Rock, are part of the faith of Muslims wherever they live on earth, according to Sheikh Yousef A’dees Isamiel Al Shaikh, Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council of the Sharia Judiciary of Palestine. The occupation forces are trying to change the historical facts through excavations at these sites, he said in his lecture on ‘Excavation under the foundations of the Al Aqsa Mosque’, at the Grand Mosque, on Monday. He appreciated the support from Oman for the Palestinian cause and said he met ministers and senior officials in Muscat to express Palestine’s gratitude to the Omani leadership.

Yousef A’dees, who is also acting supreme judge of Palestine, said Palestinians in Israeli prison were challenging the occupation and making great sacrifices for liberation of Palestine, which includes Al Aqsa Mosque. He said Palestinians are confident that one day the occupation would be defeated. He said Palestine faced conspiracies, beginning with the policies of Britain which led to the recognition of Israel. He said the Palestinians are struggling against the occupation and for recognition of their state. He said the occupation forces changed many Islamic and historic places in Al Quds city and renamed them, and built walls to separate Palestinians from basic facilities of hospitals, schools and colleges. Palestine and Al Quds in particular are targets of the aggression against civilisation and history, he added. He called upon the international community to look into the Palestinian cause not just as a cause of people of the land. Al Aqsa belongs to the Islamic faith and every effort to liberate it from Jewish and Zionist forces has the support of all Muslims, wherever they live, he added.

— Hat tip: JP

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Feeding the Masses: German Firm to Assess Catering Project for Mecca Pilgrims

This is one bid that could spice up anyone’s portfolio. The German service provider Dussmann has signed a multi-million euro contract with a Saudi Arabian company to examine the feasibility of a new catering facility for religious pilgrims in the desert state.

It’s uncharted territory for the Dussmann Group, a company that has in the past limited itself to less exotic endeavors like building sanitation, providing security or the administration of retirement homes. Having finalized a consulting contract with the Saudi company Hijaz Catering Co. Ltd., the Germans have been asked to conduct a “feasibility study” on the planning, construction and operation of a new production facility to provide meals for religious pilgrims to the Muslim holy city of Mecca and bolster Hijaz’s foothold in the catering business.

Named after the region in the Saudi kingdom that is home to the two holiest cities of Islam, Mecca and Medina, Hijaz gets a lot of its business from the millions of pilgrims that flock to the Gulf state every year. Known as the hajj, the annual pilgrimage must be made by every able-bodied Muslim at least once in their lifetime. Traveling thousands of miles in some cases, pilgrims from around 138 countries circle the great stone monument, the Kaaba, seven times during their visit to Mecca’s Grand Mosque. The Hijaz caterers have been providing Mecca’s devout visitors with halal cuisine, or meals prepared according to Islamic law, for nearly a century. They supply malls, schools and hospitals, restaurants and private parties. Now they are looking to expand.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Hatred of Arabs Deeply Rooted in Persians, Says Iranian Intellectual

The relationship between Arabs and Persians has always been a source of controversy, not only owing to the contemporary power struggle in the region, but also because of a long history of rivalry that formed an integral part of the national psyche of both people. Iranian intellectual Sadek Zibakalam provides deep insight into the different levels of this enduring animosity. “I think the majority of Iranians of all types hate Arabs, and I believe they hate us, too,” Sadek Zibakalam, who is also a professor at the University of Tehran, said in an interview with the Iranian weekly Sobh Azade.

Zibakalam said there is a link between racism and a lack of education, and pointed out that this is the case in Europe, where people who express hatred against Jews or Muslims or foreigners are mostly uneducated. However, the situation tends to be different in Iran. “The phenomenon of hating Arabs is very common among intellectuals in Iran,” he said. He added that religious people also frequently express their resentment of Arabs, which usually comes in the form of curses directed at Sunnis.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Saudi Arabia: Arab Brutality in the Name of Islam

Last Friday eight Bangladeshis were beheaded at the (In) Justice square of Riyadh for their alleged killing of an Egyptian and looting a ware house. Amnesty international claims that the Egyptian was killed during a clash between those eight Bangladeshi construction workers and another group of people, and that the clash started when the Bengali workers tried to stop the other group from robbing electrical wires from the construction site. Any of the above two versions of that fateful day could be right.

The brutal Friday beheading was carried out according to the Shariah law of Arab kingdom but the accused Bangladeshis were denied the right of their defense. Ironically, this same Shariah law has been seen to be flexible in case of allegations against US, UK or Canadian citizens, in which case such capital offences are usually settled with blood money, connection or diplomacy. Many such reported and recorded incidents prove that the so-called Shariah law is not exercised in a neutral manner and is quite susceptible to nepotism. In the name of Islam the Saudi royal elite enjoys this kind of cannibalism even in the 21st century, while the rest of the world turns a blind eye to it. This also explains why the wave of Arab Spring has not been able to hit the (In) Justice square of Riyadh.

Such human slaughtering can be seen replicated by Islamic radicals in other countries. When the western society is shifting from capital to humane punishment, the Muslim holy land continues with its biased justice system that denies the poor their right to legal defense. Conservative Muslim elites of Arab justify this primitive behavior as a necessary deterrence against rampant crime. But statistics in Arab countries show no decline in the rate of crimes; and all this while citizens of rich countries easily circumvent the Arab law by means of wealth and influence. Any interpretation of the Shariah law that presents itself as biased and capitalist must be challenged as a crime against humanity.

The weakness of Bangladeshi diplomats has once again been exposed for they failed to defend the case of their eight beheaded countrymen. The ambassador should be asked to clarify this failure. Almost two million workers are earning remittance for Bangladesh with their hard work in Arab countries. Our embassy is there to look after the welfare of our workers. If they fail to perform, then why should we sign their salary cheques with the blood of eight ordinary citizens of Bangladesh?

Riyadh has appeared hostile towards Dhaka ever since the liberation war of ‘71. It only recognized Dhaka after the killing of Bangabandhu, and has been providing refuge to our war criminals till date. UAE is known to sponsor Moududi and Wahabi radicals in Bangladesh, only so that it can retain its free-port crown. In these countries themselves, domestic violence against women is kept hidden under the garb of male chauvinistic interpretation of religion. Workers from poor countries are treated as slaves, while female migrant workers are often abused by the rich natives. The sanctity of Arab land has been repeatedly abused by its feudal rulers and their crimes against humanity have come to over-shadow the glory of Islam. They are nothing but a bunch of exploiters who run private harems, but try to teach ethics to the world by beheading the poor.

Which Islam would approve of such uncouth discrimination between a rich Canadian and eight poor Bangladeshis? Beheading poor people publicly and releasing rich people secretly, portrays double standards even in the practice of religion. That too in a country of the Holy Kaaba, where Muslims from across the world go for Hajj. This is the very state that earns millions from religious pilgrimages every year.

— Hat tip: JP

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Saudi Arabia: Riyadh: Colombian Footballer Arrested Over Tattoo of Christ’s Face

Juan Pablo Pino was detained by religious police, for wearing a sleeveless shirt in a mall that revealed a tattoo of Jesus on his arm. He palys in the An-Nasr team. His coach before the game:”I can not make the sign of the cross, they would kill me.”

Riyadh (AsiaNews / Agencies) — On Oct. 7 Saudi Arabia’s religious police arrested a Colombian soccer player in a shopping mall in the capital because it had a tattoo with the face of Christ on his arm. Juan Pablo Pino, 24, who plays in the An-Nasr (victory) team was wearing a sleeveless shirt while walking with his young pregnant wife in a shopping mall in Riyadh.

The tattoo on his left shoulder led to the insults of some local Muslims, and the incident attracted the attention of the so-called “police for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice,” who stopped the couple. According to local newspapers, the agents “put the player and his wife in a car and took them to the police station.” Soon after, they contacted the leaders of the football club. “Pino and his wife were handed over to them” ..

Immediately afterwards the football club released a statement, attributed to the player, where Juan Pablo Pino expressed his “deep sadness” over the incident and certified that it was not his intention to violate the laws of the country. The communiqué adds that the player was in the mall “to buy Muslim clothes for his wife, so that she can go out in public dressed in a respectful manner.” The player’s wife, however, according to a report in the newspaper “As-Sharq” is distressed, and she and her husband would want them to leave Saudi Arabia. The newspaper said that the club has asked the coach, the Argentine Gustavo Costas, and Juan Pablo Pino, trying to convince her to change her mind.

In September El Comercio, a newspaper in Lima, published an interview with Gustavo Costas about his new life (previously he coached the team Alianza Lim). In Lima he made the sign of the cross before every game, and wore a rosary around his neck. “Now I can not do this in public, I do it in the locker room. If I made the sign of the cross, they would kill me, stone me, “said Costas. Last year, the Romanian player Mirel Radoi, from the club Al-Hilal (the crescent) kissed the cross tattoo on his arm after scoring a goal. The episode scandalised Muslims.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Indonesia: The Islamic Hardcore

October 11, 2011: The government is under growing pressure to ban Hizbut Tahrir, a half century old organization dedicated to creating a global Islamic dictatorship. Banned in most Middle Eastern countries, Hizbut Tahrir has avoided that in most other countries by avoiding violence. Instead, Hizbut Tahrir concentrates on recruiting and demonstrations. But Hizbut Tahrir believes in terrorism and armed rebellion eventually, and that’s what got Indonesian officials concerned.

Hizbut Tahrir is but one of the largest of several Islamic groups resisting change. There are growing demonstrations against shopping malls (in part because these put existing merchants out of business) and karaoke bars (because men and women party together.) This sort of thing is worst in Aceh. Despite years of effort, only one (of 33) provinces (Aceh) has adopted Sharia (Islamic) law. This has resulted in teams of men acting as lifestyle police, and looking for couples displaying affection, or women who are not covered up, or men who are drinking or gambling in Aceh. Sharia is more of a hassle for women than men, and was instituted mainly to deal with corruption. But the usual suspects were able to bribe the Sharia judges as easily as their predecessors. So the only victims are people caught kissing in public, or women wearing tight jeans, and no scarf on their heads. This has further discredited Islamic conservatives, and those who advocate Islamic terrorism as a tool for positive change. But as part of the peace deal with determined Aceh rebels, Sharia is the law in Aceh, and Islamic conservatives are becoming more active enforcing the rules on Moslems and non-Moslems (who are not supposed to be subject to these rules.)

Islamic radicals tried to gain public enthusiasm for Sharia by claiming that Islamic law would deal with corruption and the spread of AIDs. But most voters are not impressed, and still see Islamic radicals as, for the most part, a source of Islamic terrorism. This kind of violence is very unpopular with most Indonesians, and that makes it very difficult for Islamic terrorists to recruit, much less operate, in the country. Those who have fled to Malaysia and the Philippines have found equally toxic conditions. But the core Islamic radicals will not stop. Islam has long tolerated these radicals, and that’s part of the problem.

An example of this can be seen in the Maluku Islands. The government is being criticized for doing nothing about police reluctance to crack down on Islamic militant violence in the Malukus. Violence here is not just religious, but also ethnic. The Melanesians of Maluku are largely Christian, while the Malay migrants from other parts of Indonesians are Moslem. Islamic radicals gain a little more traction in the Maluku islands, because it gives the local Malays another weapon in their efforts to dominate the Melanesians (who the Malays tend to look down on as a bunch of savages). Religious violence is often not just about religion. The police are mainly Malay and Moslem, and they tend to take sides.

October 10, 2011: In Papua, hundreds of local mine employees clashed with police. One of the miners was shot dead and five others wounded. The strikers are local Melanesians (culturally very different from the Malays who comprise most of the country’s population). The gold/copper mine is the largest in the country and the single largest source of revenue for the government. The miners want a large (ten times or more) wage increase (to $17.50-$43 an hour). But most of the miners also want independence for Papua (the western half of New Guinea Island.) About 90 percent of the 12,000 miners are on strike and the violence was mainly about strikers preventing management from bringing in new workers.

October 8, 2011: Police announced the arrest of five men responsible for an April 15 suicide bombing of a mosque used by police and a September 25 attack on a church. Those arrested are members of JAT (Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid) an Islamic radical group founded three years ago by jailed (for terrorism) cleric Abu Bakar Bashir. Those arrested are accused of planning new attacks.

October 3, 2011: Police arrested a suspected Islamic terrorist, and accused him of participating in the bombing of a church last month.

September 29, 2011: The Islamic suicide bomber who attacked a church on the 25th, belonged to JAT.

— Hat tip: JP

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Indonesia: Java Church Reports Local Officials for Disrupting Religious Freedom

Bogor, 11 Oct. (AKI/Jakarta) — Representatives from a Protestant church on Java have reported local officials to police for allegedly attempting to remove worshippers holding a Sunday service in a Bogor street.

“So far we have questioned five witnesses,” Bogor Police crimes division chief Iman Imanudin said.

The chief of Bogor Public Order Office Bambang Budiyanto hit back and reported the Taman Yasmin Indonesian Protestant Church to police after he was allegedly hit from behind during Sunday’s operation.

Pope Benedict XVI last Friday appealed for religious freedom and tolerance for minority Christians in Indonesia, where Muslim extremists have carried out attacks on churches, opposed their construction and tried to shut them down.

Muslims form 86.1 percent of the population , protestants 5.7 percent, Roman Catholic 3 percent, Hindus 1.8 and other religions 3.4 percent of the population in the ethnically diverse nation of 245.6 million people, according to the last census in 2000.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Not a Single Christian Church Left in Afghanistan

There is not a single, public Christian church left in Afghanistan, according to the U.S. State Department. This reflects the state of religious freedom in that country ten years after the United States first invaded it and overthrew its Islamist Taliban regime. In the intervening decade, U.S. taxpayers have spent $440 billion to support Afghanistan’s new government and more than 1,700 U.S. military personnel have died serving in that country. The last public Christian church in Afghanistan was razed in March 2010.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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First Carbon Bill Passes Lower House

THE federal government’s carbon pricing package has passed its first hurdle to becoming law.

The lower house held an initial vote on the Clean Energy Future Bill 2011 plus 17 associated bills today evening.

Labor won the vote 74-73.

The government was supported on the carbon tax legislation by Australian Greens MP Adam Bandt and independents Rob Oakeshott, Andrew Wilkie and Tony Windsor.

The four also voted with Labor on the steel bill, alongside Queensland independent Bob Katter.

The House of Representatives will now consider amendments to the 19 bills.

These include amendments proposed by the government, the coalition and West Australian Nationals MP Tony Crook.

A final lower house vote on the bills will be held tomorrow morning.

— Hat tip: Nilk

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Nigeria: Soldier, Other Die as Explosions Rock Maiduguri

AT least two persons were killed yesterday after two bombs exploded in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. The bombs were allegedly detonated by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect. One of the explosions which occurred near the After-Hour Market killed a soldier, according to the spokesman to the Joint Military Task Force (JTF), Victor Ebhaleme.

A civilian also died at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), a mortuary attendant claimed. Another blast about 16 kilometres away had Sunday afternoon injured one person and destroyed a patrol vehicle parked in front of a Mosque, Ebhaleme said. The JTF spokesman said two other soldiers were injured during yesterday’s explosion. A witness, who did not identify himself for fear of reprisals, alleged the military burned down several shops at the market after accusing traders of allowing the Boko Haram members to hide bombs in their stalls. Ebhaleme said some residents had been “harbouring suspects”, but he denied the claims that the shops were torched by soldiers.

— Hat tip: JP

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Somalia: Special Forces Free Crew of Pirated Cargo Ship

Rome, 11 Oct. (AKI) — British and American special forces on Tuesday stormed an Italian-registered cargo ship one day after it was seized by pirates off the Somali coast, freeing the 23 hostages and arresting eleven pirates.

Armed pirates on Monday hjijacked the Montecristo 1,000 kilometres off the Somali coast along with its crew which included people from Italy, Ukraine and India.

The crew was uninjured during Monday’s hijacking and the subsequent rescue after locking itself in a panic room, according to the Italian foreign ministry.

“The crew is free and safe after finding refuge in an armoured area of the vessel,” the foreign ministry said in a statement, adding that the Nato-coordinated rescue was directed by Italian admiral Gualtiero Mattesi.

The ship was carrying seven Italians, six Ukranians and 10 Indians.

The Montecristo was transporting scrap iron to Vietnam on a journey that began on 20 September in Liverpool, England, according to ship owner, Livorno, Italy-based D’Alessio Group.

Earlier Tuesday, Italian defence minister Ignazio La Russa said that armed troops could be deployed on vessels to deter pirates. The cost would be reimbursed by the ship owners, he said.

Piracy is a leading source of revenue in war-torn Somalia.

The United Nations estimates the annual cost of piracy in the Indian Ocean at between 5 billion and 7 billion dollars.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Netherlands: PvdA Blames Immigration on Rightwing Parties

THE HAGUE, 12/10/11 — The mass immigration of Turks and Moroccans was the result of rightwing policy, and it is also the rightwing parties that are now responsible an influx of badly-integrated East Europeans, declares Labour (PvdA) MP Martijn van Dam.

“Fifty years after the wave of ‘guest-workers’, a flood of East Europeans is currently underway. Contrary to what people came to believe, the migration wave of the 1960s was not leftwing but actually rightwing policy,” Van Dam wrote yesterday in an opinion article in De Volkskrant newspaper.

“Fifty years later, the rightwing shows it has learned nothing. Once again, the right wants to encourage immigration on the underside of the labour market, without wanting to invest in integration. It is shocking how history repeats itself.”

In recent years, the Party for Freedom (PVV) has succeeded in blaming the socialists for the immigration of the 1960s, says the PvdA MP. “For too long, leftwing politicians like myself have left these allegations uncontested. We found a discussion on whose ‘fault’ it is that people are living here extremely tasteless. That we should not have done. If you leave allegations uncontested, people take them to be true. But they are not true. Large-scale immigration was and is the consequence of rightwing policy.”

Van Dam is concerned about the inflow of East Europeans in the Netherlands. “In five years time, 200,000 to 300,000 came here. In The Hague, more East Europeans than Moroccans are already living there.” According to Van Dam, parties like the conservatives (VVD) and Christian democrats (CDA) nonetheless want “open borders again and generous allocations of work permits to Bulgarians and Romanians.”

“Being cautious with immigration and working hard on integration, with respect and decency regarding the people concerned: If we do not do this, then we will again be stuck with a gigantic integration problem in thirty years’ time.”

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

[Return to headlines]

UK: Immigrants Must Pass Test on British History, Says David Cameron

Migrants wanting British citizenship must finally learn about the country’s proud history after David Cameron yesterday pledged to close a farcical loophole.

The so-called Citizenship Test will now include questions on topics such as Winston Churchill, the Magna Carta and the English Civil War for the first time in six years, while questions on the EU and migrant worker rights will be binned. It came as the Prime Minister urged the public to “shop an illegal immigrant” by alerting Crimestoppers to those they suspect of being in the country unlawfully. He said it was time to “reclaim our borders and send illegal immigrants home”. In a wide-ranging speech on immigration, Mr Cameron also vowed to make it easier for registrars to stop suspected bogus marriages and a crack down on health tourists who run up huge NHS bills then leave the UK without paying.

The Citizenship Test was introduced in 2005 to ensure migrants who wanted to become Britons had sufficient knowledge of the country they were settling in. But it faced criticism from the outset because despite candidates being asked to read a chapter on the country’s history they were told they would not be tested on it. Instead they were quizzed on topics such as the make-up of the European Union, how to claim benefits and even how to buy a round in a pub. But in a speech in London yesterday, Mr Cameron said citizenship should be a “big deal” and promised to change the test.

“There’s a whole chapter in the Citizenship handbook on British history but incredibly there are no questions on British history in the actual test. Instead you’ll find questions on the roles and powers of the main institutions of Europe and the benefits system within the UK. So we are going to revise the whole test and put British history and culture at the heart of it.” It means future candidates will be tested on the Roman Conquest, Boadicea, the Norman Conquest, Magna Carta and King John, the Wars of Roses, Elizabeth 1, English Civil War, the Battle of Britain, Churchill and how we ‘encouraged a national spirit of resistance in UK’ in World War Two. They are likely to replace questions on the EU, the operation of the single market and its administration by member states and EU citizens and their work and travel rights and restrictions.

Mr Cameron also pledged more action on tracking down illegal immigrants and called on the public to play their part. “I want everyone in the country to help,” he said, “Including by reporting suspected illegal immigrants to our Border Agency through the Crimestoppers phone line or through the Border Agency website. Together we will reclaim our borders and send illegal immigrants home.”

In other moves, migrants who marry a Briton will still have to wait five years for settlements rights, instead of the current two. And there will be an end to the “ridiculous situation where a registrar who knows a marriage is a sham still has to perform the ceremony”. In a related move, the Home Office yesterday announced health tourists who have failed to pay debts of £1,000 or more will be banned from entering or staying in the UK. It is estimated around 3,600 people a year incur such a bill and an investigation by The Daily Telegraph last month suggested the total outstanding could be as high as £60 million.

In his speech, Mr Cameron also signalled that forcing someone to marry against their will could become a criminal offence. He said he was making it illegal to breach an order issued by the courts to prevent a forced marriage and has asked Home Secretary Theresa May to consult on whether the practice should be criminalised. And the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has been asked to consider whether the minimum level of financial support for those sponsoring someone arriving on a family visa should be higher than £20,000 and whether a “bond” from migrants could be demanded in some cases. However, Labour accused Mr Cameron of dropping plans trailed just this weekend that companies could be required to public list of foreign employees. Yvette Cooper, the shadow Home Secretary, said: “Another week, another rewritten speech from the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister can’t even keep his pledges overnight and ill thought out promises like this erode trust in the Government’s approach to immigration. “

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Creationism Attack Under UK Muslim Fire

LONDON — Muslim groups in Britain have sharply criticized an atheist professor who attacked Muslim faith schools for teaching creationsim for their students. “Faith schools are by and large established to enforce the religious teachings of our lives, and the theory of creation is one of the cornerstones of our faith,” Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra, from the Muslim Council of Britain, told the BBC.

“To expect faith schools not to teach this kind of religious teaching is unreasonable, but I also think it is important for faith schools to teach science to children as well so they are aware of modern day findings and can use the information to ask further questions and strengthen their faith. I don’t believe any religious teaching prevents people from being creative and independent in their thinking.”

The uproar erupted after atheist professor Richard Dawkins attacked Muslim faith schools for filling children’s head with “alien rubbish” of creationism. In the Times Educational Supplement (TES), the Oxford author said they had a “pernicious influence” that is “utterly deplorable” on the minds of young people. “Occasionally, my colleagues lecturing in universities lament having undergraduate students walk out of their classes when they talk about evolution — this is almost entirely Muslims,” Dawkins said.

“So I think there’s a very, very pernicious influence that is lasting up to the university years. That must be coming from certain schools,” the author of The God Delusion, emeritus fellow of New College and evolutionary biologist, added. But Naomi Phillips, from the British Humanist Association, hit back at the atheist professor, saying that creationism is taught not only in Muslim but Christian schools too. There are a number of problems that go throughout faith schools but I wouldn’t say it’s just Muslim schools, it’s also Christian schools too,” Phillips said.

Over the past few years, the numbers of non-believers have been noticeably increasing in Europe and US. A 2005 survey published in Encyclopedia Britannica put non-believers at about 11.9 percent of the world’s population. An official European Union survey recently said that 18 percent of the bloc’s population do not believe in God. The Washington Post reported in September that atheist movements were growing across Europe, lobbying hard for political clout and airtime.

Impressive Results

Criticizing Dawkins’ theories about Muslim faith schools, British Muslims said those schools have managed to achieve impressive results in both math and science. “The results of Muslim faith schools in England in maths and science show a strong compatibility between the Muslim faith and scientific learning,” an MCB spokesman told the BBC. The chairman of Muslims4UK, Inayat Bunglawala, said it was “important faith groups came to terms with evolution” and taught it in a fair manner. “I don’t think students growing up today are served well by being taught this way by religious leaders. “It’s symbolic and it makes no sense to take it so literally — it will only serve to undermine the faith of students when the two schools of thought could be understood side by side.”

Britain has a sizable Muslim minority of nearly 2.0 million Muslims, mainly of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian origin. About 7,000 state schools in the UK are faith schools — roughly one in three of the total — educating 1.7 million pupils. Of the 590 faith-based secondary schools five are Jewish, two Muslim and one Sikh — the rest are Church of England, Roman Catholic and other Christian faiths. Last April 2011, Darul Uloom Islamic College boys’ school drew praise for its excellence in combining religious and secular studies while helping develop its students’ basic knowledge, skills and attitudes from the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted). Earlier in November 2010, Tauheedul Islam Girls’ School was ranked as “outstanding” by the Ofsted, which oversees state and independent schools and colleges.

— Hat tip: JP

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7 Population Milestones for 7 Billion People

This year marks the seventh “billion-person” milestone in the planet’s history. On or around Oct. 31, 2011, the world’s 7 billionth person will be born, the United Nation estimates.Even more staggering is that of the 7 billion people on Earth, about 1.4 billion of them will be old enough to have observed the arrivals of the 6 billionth, 5 billionth, 4 billionth and 3 billionth people in the world. About 42.5 million people could have blown the party horn for the birth of the 2 billionth baby. Yes, population has risen very quickly over the last century. Demographers do expect a decline in the population growth rate, but absolute numbers will continue to rise, likely hitting 9 billion by 2050.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

[Return to headlines]

A Muslim Life of Brian? No Way, Says Python

COMEDIAN Terry Jones has admitted that he and his Monty Python colleagues would be “frightened” and “think twice” before poking fun at Muslims in today’s politically correct climate.

Asked if he would make a satirical film about Muslims now, he replied, “Probably not — looking at Salman Rushdie. I suppose people would be frightened. “I think it’s whipped up by the arms industry. I read an in-house magazine called Weapons Today before the Gulf War and the editorial was headlined, ‘Thank God for Saddam’ and went on to say that since perestroika we have an enemy no one can complain about. “So in future we look for Islam to replace communism.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

[Return to headlines]

New Map of Saturn Moon Titan Reveals Surprisingly Earth-Like Features

After meticulously stitching together images that were gathered over six years by a NASA spacecraft in orbit around Saturn, astronomers have created a global map of the surface of Titan, the ringed planet’s largest moon, and it features some surprisingly Earth-like geological features. An international team of astronomers, led by the University of Nantes in France, created the striking mosaic of Titan’s surface using infrared images taken by the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) aboard NASA’s Cassini spacecraft. The global map and animations were presented Tuesday (Oct. 4) at the European Planetary Science Congress and the American Astronomical Society’s Division of Planetary Science in Nantes, France.

Titan is the only moon known to be cloaked in a dense atmosphere, which is composed mainly of nitrogen. It also has clouds of methane and ethane, and ongoing research has presented increasing evidence for methane rain on the large, frigid moon. Since Titan is veiled in an opaque atmosphere, its surface is difficult to study with visible light cameras, and only a few specific infrared wavelengths can penetrate the haze. Cassini’s infrared instruments and radar signals provide an intriguing glimpse down to the surface of the frozen body, which, as the new global map reveals, has some interesting Earth-like features.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Three-Way Race to Reach Lost Antarctic Lakes

Antarctic researchers are set to make first contact with long-lost lakes deep beneath the continent’s ice — closely followed by second and third contact. Three expeditions will attempt to enter the hidden lakes over the next two years, in search of unknown kinds of life that have evolved in isolation. The projects could also determine if or when the west Antarctic ice sheet will collapse — one of the worst-case scenarios in future climate change. Over the next few months a team from the British Antarctic Survey, based in Cambridge, UK, and other institutions will set up drilling equipment on the ice above Lake Ellsworth. They will return late next year to drill into the lake. Ellsworth is buried under 3 kilometres of ice, in what was once a fjord.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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World’s Largest Virus Proves Giants Came From Cells

The discovery of a megavirus virus is confirmation that giant viruses descended from complex cells that became simpler. Since the discovery of the first giant virus, mimivirus, in 2003, researchers have debated how they evolved. Unlike conventional viruses, mimivirus carries many genes thought to be unique to cellular life, suggesting that it evolved from a cell. But it could also have stolen those genes from cells that it infected. The new giant virus, dubbed megavirus, is 7 per cent larger than mimivirus. It was found by Jean-Michel Claverie of the Structural and Genomic Information Laboratory in Marseille, France. It is a distant relative of mimivirus, sharing all its cell-like genes. Claverie says this is “definitive proof” of a cellular ancestor.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

[Return to headlines]

	Financial Crisis
»	Belgium: Dexia Nationalised for a High Price
»	Dexia Rescue: Belgium Nationalizes Troubled Bank
»	Frattini Certain Bilateral Deals Not a Solution to Crisis
»	Greece: Athens Airport Could Pass to China Group
»	Greek Government Say OK to French-German Plan on Banks
»	Italy: Industrial Output Up 4.3% in August
»	Merkel, Sarkozy Will Do ‘Whatever Necessary’ To Bail-Out Banks
»	Slovakian EFSF Opponent Sulik: ‘The Greatest Threat to Europe is the Bailout Fund’
»	Swiss Banks Urged to Beef Up Ahead of Crisis
	USA
»	CAIR/Hamas Spreads Islamic Propaganda in FL English Textbook
»	Crime Predicting Technology Tests Draw Minority Report Comparisons
»	Group That Had Planned to Build Mosque in Florence Instead Sells Land to Developer
	Canada
»	Northern B.C.’s First Mosque Opens in Prince George
	Europe and the EU
»	Electronic Surveillance Scandal Hits Germany
»	France: Hollande Determined to Bring Left to Presidency
»	French Suburbs Becoming ‘Separate Islamic Societies’
»	Germany: Potential Arson Attack Averted at Berlin’s Central Train Station
»	Germany: Leftist Extremists Claim Rail Arson Attacks
»	Germany: Parents Believe Their Ethnically Turkish Children Disadvantaged
»	How a Far-Right Party Came to Dominate Swiss Politics
»	How a Frenchman Helped Invent the English Garden
»	Italy: Judge Calls Kercher Murder ‘Unsolved Mystery’
»	Italy: Comics Great Bonelli Dies
»	Italy: Berlusconi Complains of ‘Burden’ of Power
»	Sweden: Juholt to SVT: Don’t Have Åkesson Stand So Close to Me
»	UK: Boulter vs Fox
»	UK: David Cameron is to Revisit Forced Marriage Crime Plans
»	UK: EDL Women Tell Cameron We’re Not Sick
»	UK: Mosque Users Answer Critics [Blackpool]
»	UK: Police ‘Threatened’ me for Taking Pictures of Daughter in Shopping Centre, Dad Claims
»	UK: Secret Army of 200 Homegrown Suicide Bombers ‘Plotting to Attack Britain’
»	UK: The Nadir of the Anti-Zionist Jews
»	Wall Street Protests Spread to Sweden
»	Wine: Saudi Arabia Visits Venice Hunting for Luxury
	Mediterranean Union
»	Mediterranean Economy Week Starts in Marseille
»	Uprisings: FEMISE: Independent Banking Authorities Needed
	North Africa
»	Berlin Plans Airlift for Wounded Libyans
»	Clashes Beween Christians and Muslims: Orgy of Violence Plunges Egypt Into New Chaos
»	Egyptian Army, Police Kill 35 Coptic Christian Protestors
»	Egypt: Respect Freedom of Worship, Elections Needed, Ashton
»	Egypt: Copts Protest in Cairo, Over 20 Killed in Clashes
»	Egypt: Cairo: Violence Against Copts: 24 Dead and 212 Injured
»	Egypt: EU Ministers: Religious Minorities Must be Protected
»	Egypt: China Hopes Religious Groups in Egypt Maintain Harmony, Safeguard Social Stability
»	Egypt Imposes Curfew in Cairo as at Least 25 Killed in Clashes
»	Frattini Calls for Egypt to End Religious Violence
»	Libya: Appeals From Ex Leader; Jibril, He’s in the Country
»	Libya: Idris: Strong-Arm Ways of Multinationals Must Change
»	Libyan NTC Forces Leave Bani Walid Airport, Several Dead
»	Occupy Wall Street is Phony Opposition
	Israel and the Palestinians
»	Blair Not Flavour of Palestine’s Week
»	Chairman of the Palestinian Supreme Judicial Council Meets a Number of Officials
»	Israelis Blast Hyprocrisy of Focus on Mosque Vandals
»	The Wretched Scandal of Gaza
	Middle East
»	Eight Bangladeshis Publicly Beheaded in Riyadh, Five More at Risk
»	Lebanon: Hariri Trial Financing Divides Majority
»	Number of Arab People Visiting Istanbul Up
»	Top Dutch MP Slams Turkey’s ‘Belligerence’ Against Israel
	South Asia
»	Indonesia: Java: Church Attacker, Spiritual Son of the Islamic Leader Baasyr
»	Malaysia: Perlis Raja Opens Floating Mosque
»	Malaysian Muslims to Get Counseling After Church Meet
»	Pakistan “Legalises” Persecution Through Blasphemy Laws
	Sub-Saharan Africa
»	Italian Ship Seized by Pirates Off Coast of Somalia
	Immigration
»	Canada: ‘Human Rights?’ Fired for Opposing Immigration Policy
»	Greece to Remove One-Day Visa Requirement for Turks
»	SA Man Loses Bid to Stay in Canada
»	UK: A Welcome Plan for Real Action on Immigration

Belgium: Dexia Nationalised for a High Price

De Morgen, 10 October 2011

“Playing poker with taxpayers money,” headlines De Morgen. The Flemish daily announces that on 9 October, the governments of France, Belgium and Luxembourg reached agreement on the dismantling of Dexia. The Belgian state will take control of 100% of Dexia Banque Belgique (DBB), the Belgian branch of the group which is specialised in retail banking, in exchange for 4 billion euros. “Belgium only wanted to pay 3 billion, while France wanted to sell for 8,” notes L’Echo.

This is a relatively low evaluation, but at the same time Belgium “will have to act as a guarantor for 50 to 60 billion of potential losses caused by Dexia’s toxic assets,” which have now been placed in a bad bank. The Belgian guarantee will cover 60.5% of these investments, while France will cover 36.5% and Luxembourg 3%. “Economists have warned against a downgrading of Belgian bonds which would result in greater sovereign debt,” remarks De Morgen, which argues that “Belgian taxpayers may have to pay a high price for the bailout of Dexia.” On 8 October, Moody’s rating agency warned of a negative outlook for Belgian debt.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

[Return to headlines]

Dexia Rescue: Belgium Nationalizes Troubled Bank

The European banking crisis claimed its first victim on Monday: The Dexia group will be broken up. The Belgian government is paying 4 billion euros to acquire the company’s operations in that country. Meanwhile, the Belgian, French and Luxembourg governments all plan to provide billions in guarantees.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

[Return to headlines]

Frattini Certain Bilateral Deals Not a Solution to Crisis

(AGI) Luxembourg — Referring to yesterday’s meeting in Berlin between Chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Nicholas Sarkozy, Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said that “a global crisis cannot be resolved with bilateral agreements” .

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

[Return to headlines]

Greece: Athens Airport Could Pass to China Group

(ANSAmed) — ATHENS, OCTOBER 10 — While Greek government’s talks with Hochtief Airport about the extension of its concession contract for Athens International Airport continue, there are indications that Greece’s main terminal will soon be passed on to Chinese owners. As daily Kathimerini reports quoting reliabe sources, the sale process of German airport management company, which owns a 40% stake in Athens Airport and carries out management duties, is at an advanced stage with China’s HNA Group. “The Chinese have submitted the highest bid, but have also set the most terms,” a well-informed source said.

One of the terms concerns the extension of the contract for Athens Airport for the 2026-46 period. Negotiations between the Greeks and the Germans about Athens Airport are heating up, despite the two deadlines set by the Greek side for September 30 and October 5, both of which Hochtief missed. The Greek government is asking for 500 million euros, while Hochtief is insisting on 400 million. Their difference is on the assessment of the airport’s cost of equity. The Germans are banking on the Greek state’s need for privatization revenues, while Greece is relying on Hochtief’s intention to sell its Airport subsidiary.

— Hat tip: Insubria

[Return to headlines]

Greek Government Say OK to French-German Plan on Banks

(AGI) Athens — Greece appreciates the French-German plan for the strengthening of capital in European banks, according to the Greek government spokesperson Ilias Mossailos. “The recapitalization of banks is a very positive decision”, Mossailos said .

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

[Return to headlines]

Italy: Industrial Output Up 4.3% in August

Biggest spurt since 2000

(ANSA) — Rome, October 10 — Italy’s industrial output rose 4.3% in August, its biggest spurt since 2000, Istat said Monday.

Output was 4.7% higher in August 2011 than August 2010, the national statistics agency said.

Auto vehicle output was 31.7% higher over the year.

The figures showed the Italian economy might be on the upturn, analysts said.

— Hat tip: Insubria

[Return to headlines]

Merkel, Sarkozy Will Do ‘Whatever Necessary’ To Bail-Out Banks

Financial markets hoping for the outline of some grand strategy for dealing with the ever-worsening eurozone crisis are likely to be disappointed by the vague announcement offered up by the French president and German chancellor after emergency talks in Berlin on Sunday (9 September). “We are very conscious that France and Germany have a particular responsibility for stabilising the euro,” said Nicolas Sarkozy alongside Angela Merkel. “We need to deliver a response that is sustainable and comprehensive. We have decided to provide this response by the end of the month because Europe must solve its problems by the G20 summit in Cannes.” “By the end of the month, we will have responded to the crisis issue and to the vision issue,” he said.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

[Return to headlines]

Slovakian EFSF Opponent Sulik: ‘The Greatest Threat to Europe is the Bailout Fund’

Only two countries, Malta and Slovakia, have yet to ratify the expansion of the euro bailout fund. Its fate may be in the hands of a minor Slovak party headed by Richard Sulik. In an interview, the politician explains why he hopes the fund will fail and what he sees as the only way to save the euro.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

[Return to headlines]

Swiss Banks Urged to Beef Up Ahead of Crisis

Swiss financial authorities have urged bank giants UBS and Credit Suisse to quickly improve the quality of their equity capital as fears mount that the Greek debt crisis will spread across the banking sector. A crisis committee will meet this week to discuss the potential impact on Switzerland’s two biggest banks of the eurozone debt crisis, the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper reported on Sunday citing two unnamed sources. The report said the committee, which was set up after the 2008 bailout of UBS, has got down to work for the first time amid growing concerns of a new financial crisis in the banking sector.

Interviewed by the NZZ, Patrick Raaflaub, director of financial markets regulator FINMA, described the situation in global markets as “tense” but declined to comment on the activities of the committee. “A body like the financial crisis committee can by definition only function out of the public eye in such phases,” he said, refusing to explain specific measures.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

[Return to headlines]

CAIR/Hamas Spreads Islamic Propaganda in FL English Textbook

The war for the “Heart” of America (our children) in accordance with the objectives of the Muslim Brotherhood has taken another bold step forward, one which has apparently gone undetected by the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) and other education officials.

While Islamic Indoctrination in America’s public school textbooks has been detailed in reports by groups like ACT for America, American Textbook Council, and most recently a report by Citizens For National Security (CFNS) which cites over 200 false or misleading excerpts in (27) twenty seven of Florida’s approved History and Social Studies textbooks, this is the first time to our knowledge of Islamic propaganda being reported in an English textbook.

The textbook “Elements in Literature” fourth course by Holt, Rinehart and Winston (ISBN 10:0-03-099302-4) is currently being used by Hilliard Middle-High School in Nassau County, a state of Florida approved textbook.

[Return to headlines]

Crime Predicting Technology Tests Draw Minority Report Comparisons

Using cameras and sensors the “pre-crime” system measures and tracks changes in a person’s body movements, the pitch of their voice and the rhythm of their speech.

It also monitors breathing patterns, eye movements, blink rate and alterations in body heat, which are used to assess an individual’s likelihood to commit a crime.

The Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST) programme is already being tested on a group of government employees who volunteered to act as guinea pigs.

The first test was carried out at an undisclosed location in the north-eastern United States.

According to the Department of Homeland Security it was not at an airport, but was at a “large venue that is a suitable substitute for an operational setting”.

Ultimately, the system could be used not only at airports but at border crossings and any large scale public events like sports matches or political conventions.

However, civil liberties groups have called it a “pseudo technological approach” and raised privacy concerns.

In the 2002 Hollywood blockbuster Minority Report, Tom Cruise plays a police officer in a specialised “PreCrime” department.

Psychics are used to give detectives foreknowledge of someone’s criminal intentions.

The FAST system is instead based on equipment including infrared cameras and pressure pads to detect fidgeting.

Details of the system were obtained through freedom of information laws by the Electronic Privacy Information Centre (Epic) based in Washington DC.

A document they obtained said that “sensors will non-intrusively collect video images, audio recordings, and psychophysiological measurements”.

Ginger McCall, a lawyer for the non-profit group, told CBS News: “If it were deployed against the public, it would be very problematic.

“They should do a privacy impact assessment. Especially if they’re going to be rolling this out at the airport.”

Department of Homeland Security spokesman Peter Boogaard told the technology website CNET that “preliminary research” had been carried out to see if the technology could detect signs of stress, which can be associated with intent to do harm.

According to the documents obtained by Epic, the next trial may involve volunteer members of the public with experience in the food service industry.

They would be asked to work at a “one day VIP event” and some of them would be told to do something wrong, like smuggling in a recording device. The technology would then be used to identify the perpetrators.

A Homeland Security spokesman said the FAST experiments were voluntary and did not store any information from those involved.

He added: “If it were ever to be deployed, there would be no personally-identifiable information captured from people going through the system.”

— Hat tip: Vlad Tepes

[Return to headlines]

Group That Had Planned to Build Mosque in Florence Instead Sells Land to Developer

FLORENCE, Ky. — A group that had planned to build a mosque in northern Kentucky has instead sold the property to a developer. The Mercy Foundation, which bought the 5.5 acre plot in Florence in 2008 for $200,000 sold the land to New Plan Property Holding Company, a division of Centro Properties, for $950,000. The proposal last year to build for a mosque at the location generated some negative reactions from neighbors, but the sale appears to be unrelated. Joseph Dabdoub, a spokesman for the Northern Kentucky Islamic Center, told The Kentucky Enquirer that the offer was too good to pass up (http://bit.ly/qsQp57). “This was strictly a business decision,” Dabdoub said. “We had about $100,000 invested in engineering and planning and they agreed to pay that, plus $850,000. They appear to have plans for the property.”

Stacy Slater, a senior vice president for the Centro subsidiary Brixmor Property Group, says the parcel was a critical acquisition for the potential expansion and redevelopment of Florence Square. “We are constantly evaluating options to improve our assets via redevelopment,” Slater said. “As always, our strategy is to create an optimal merchandise mix for the surrounding community of Florence.” Dabdoub said the sale of the parcel does not indicate plans to scrap the mosque project. He said the center would like to remain in Florence, where it currently leases space, but is considering other locations in the vicinity.

— Hat tip: JP

[Return to headlines]

Northern B.C.’s First Mosque Opens in Prince George

The first mosque in northern B.C. opened its doors on Saturday in Prince George. Muslims in the region have been worshipping in rented rooms and church halls for years but now — after two years of construction — locals finally have a mosque of their own. “In a mosque, you have a place where you do your own activities that’s your own. You don’t have to call somebody to ask to rent or to come in,” said Dr. Firas Mansour, a local doctor and the project manager for the Prince George Islamic Centre. “This will be the gathering point, the focal point of all activity.”

Built from local wood, the mosque windows face both Mecca and a nearby grove of pine trees. Local residents, with help from mosques across Canada, raised more than $1 million for construction costs. They also got a helping hand from a seven-year-old girl who asked her party guests to bring donations for the mosque instead of gifts for her. “A girl came that evening after the birthday party here and made the contribution,” Mansour said. “And we were extremely happy to see the involvement. It is an important sign to show how the community at large is supportive. If the parents weren’t supportive, the kids would not be supportive.” Mansour said Prince George residents have warmly welcomed the mosque.

“It’s definitely one of the misperceptions of many immigrants, that smaller communities are not welcoming as the larger urban communities.”

— Hat tip: JP

[Return to headlines]

Electronic Surveillance Scandal Hits Germany

A German hacker organization claims to have cracked spying software allegedly used by German authorities. The Trojan horse has functions which go way beyond those allowed by German law. The news has sparked a wave of outrage among politicians and media commentators.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

[Return to headlines]

France: Hollande Determined to Bring Left to Presidency

(ANSAmed) — PARIS, OCTOBER 10 — “I want to be the candidate making change possible and who will make the left win, for a more respectful, stronger and fairer Presidency of the Republic.

Today has taken me close to this aim,” said Francois Hollande to the press late yesterday evening in the Socialist Party headquarters in Paris. According to estimates, Hollande was in the lead in the French Socialist primaries, from which the Socialist candidate for the 2012 presidential elections will emerge. Now the former secretary of the Socialist party will have to go up against Martine Aubry in the second round of voting on Sunday. Before then, there will likely be a televised squaring-off between the two candidates.

“I am pleased with this result,” added Hollande. “First because there was large-scale participation, beyond what I had expected, and then because I was clearly in the lead. Now I must bring Socialists together again without losing my consistency. I thank the French for what they have done.”

— Hat tip: Insubria

[Return to headlines]

French Suburbs Becoming ‘Separate Islamic Societies’

France’s decrepit city suburbs are becoming ‘separate Islamic societies’ cut off from the state, according to a major new study that examines the spread of Islam in France.

Muslim immigrants are increasingly rejecting French values and identity and instead are immersing themselves in Islam, according to the report, which also warns that Islamic Sharia law is rapidly displacing French civil law in many parts of suburban Paris.

The 2,200-page report, “Banlieue de la République” (Suburbs of the Republic), is the result of a one-year research effort into the four “i’s” that comprise the heart of the debate over French national identity: Islam, immigration, identity and insecurity. The report was commissioned by the influential French think tank L’Institut Montaigne, and directed by Gilles Kepel, a well-known political scientist and specialist in the Muslim world, together with five other French researchers. The authors of the report show that France, which has between five and six million Muslims (France has the largest Muslim population in European Union), is on the brink of a major social explosion because of the failure of Muslims to integrate into French society.

The report also shows how the problem is being exacerbated by radical Muslim leaders who are promoting the social marginalization of Muslim immigrants in order to create a parallel Muslim society in France that is ruled by Sharia law. The research was primarily carried out in Clichy-sous-Bois and Montfermeil, two suburbs in north-eastern Paris that were ground zero for Muslim riots in 2005. Clichy and Montfermeil form part of the district of Seine-Saint-Denis, which has one of the highest concentrations of Muslims in France.

Seine-Saint-Denis, which the report describes as a “wasteland of de-industrialization,” is home to more than 600,000 Muslims (primarily from North and West Africa) out of a total population of 1.4 million.

“In some areas, a third of the population of the town does not hold French nationality, and many residents are drawn to an Islamic identity,” the report says. The study says that Muslim religious institutions and practices are increasingly displacing those of the state and the French Republic, which has a strong secular tradition. For example, French schools, which are rigorously non-religious, have traditionally been seen as having the role of training and socializing young citizens in the secular values of the French Republic. However, many Muslim pupils refuse to integrate and often boycott school dinners if the food is not halal [religiously permitted in Islam], the report says.

The survey also points to differing social attitudes when it comes to marriage, for example. The report says that although most people in France do not object to mixed marriages, “in the suburbs we were surprised to find a very large proportion of Muslim respondents who said they were opposed to marriages with non-Muslims.” The researchers also looked into the reasons behind the 2005 riots, which they said had called into question modern France’s founding myth, namely “the implicit shared belief that the nation was always able to integrate people.”

Islamic values are replacing those of a French Republic which has failed to deliver on its promise of “equality,” the report says, and the residents of the suburbs increasingly do not see themselves as French. But the report adds that the French state is not primarily to blame for this and that many Muslim immigrants simply do not want to integrate into French society.Although resentment in the poor suburbs has social roots (primarily a lack of jobs), the report says the rioters expressed frustration in a vocabulary that is “borrowed from Islam’s semantic register.”

The report points out that the suburbs of Clichy and Montfermeil have been at the center of one of France’s biggest urban renewal projects. Many physical barriers to integration have been removed, and efforts have been made to plug the area into public transport networks and improve public safety. Nevertheless, low educational achievement is endemic among the Muslim population. This, in turn, is turning France into a “divided nation.” Most Muslim youth are “not employable.” More than 20% of the residents of Clichy and Montfermeil leave school without a diploma (about 150,000 people per year), according to the report. The unemployment rate for Muslim youth in the suburbs of Paris is around 43%.

These drop-outs enter a cycle of social exclusion negatively shapes their lives and those of their children. Many Muslim youth turn to “deviant behaviors across the range of incivilities in a parallel economy in which drug trafficking is the most prominent.” “One is struck by the high birth rates among newly arrived families from the African Sahel. The mothers work long hours and their young children are under-supervised by the education system, thus threatening their social integration,” the report says. Islam is filling the void. The authors of the study are taken aback at the explosion of the halal market in France in recent years and also point out that the term halal has been greatly expanded in its definition. The survey question “do you respect the halal?” highlights the “complexity of different meanings of the word, which in its most restrictive sense means only the dimension of the forbidden food, but may also include a code of conduct, standards and an expression of dominant values, separating the ‘halal’ from ‘haram,’ the lawful or unlawful in many aspects of society.”

The report also describes a proliferation of mosques and prayer rooms in the suburbs. The religious orientations of the mosques are heavily influenced by the national origin of the founder or president of a given mosque. Islam in Clichy-Montfermeil is structured around two major poles: one pole involves the Tabligh (“spreading of Islam”) movement which is focused on “re-socializing” Muslims on the lower rungs of the socio-economic ladder. The Tabligh movement arrived in Clichy-Montfermeil in the 1980s in the midst of mass unemployment and drugs. Tabligh preachers built their social legitimacy by providing a moral regeneration of young people in distress around a rigorous practice of the precepts of Islam.

The other pole revolves around the figure of the Tunisian imam Dhaou Meskine, who was involved in the launch of Union of Islamic Organizations in France (UIOF). The UOIF, which represents the majority of the 2,100 registered mosques in France, is closely tied to the Muslim Brotherhood, which aims to extend Islamic law throughout France. Meskine also participated in the formation of the Union of Muslim Associations (UAM93), a Muslim lobby group that aims to mobilize Muslims to elect candidates in local elections around Islamic issues. UAM93 has been pushing for the construction of a mega-mosque in Seine-Saint-Denis, although that project has run into difficulties due to a power struggle between Algerian, Moroccan and Turkish immigrants.

The report describes a “new sociology of Muslim believers” that is composed mainly of undereducated low-income immigrants who depend on financial support from Morocco or Turkey, countries that are pursuing their own objectives in France. The authors of the study also point to a contradiction among Muslims who live in the suburbs: they do not want the French state to interfere in matters relating to Islam, but they also expect the state to improve their lot in life. The report closes with a warning: “France’s future depends on its ability to re-integrate the suburbs into the national project.

— Hat tip: JP

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Germany: Potential Arson Attack Averted at Berlin’s Central Train Station

Workers at Berlin’s main train station have reportedly found a stash of incendiary materials near an underground track. The discovery was made after arson attacks were reported outside the capital.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Germany: Leftist Extremists Claim Rail Arson Attacks

Train services between Berlin and Hamburg were severely disrupted on Monday after a sabotage attack on rail lines claimed by leftist extremists. Federal police also said they had foiled an arson attack on the German capital’s main train station. Reporting the incident at the central station, used by thousands of people each day, the daily Der Tagesspiegel said that an attack had been thwarted at the last minute when a member of staff found several suspect objects. Investigation showed them to be incendiary agents. “The objects were suspiciously like those which were found by the attack on the Berlin-Hamburg train track,” said a spokeswoman for the police. The train station was not evacuated, but the discovered objects were taken for investigation.

An arson attack on cables crucial to the rail link from Berlin to Hamburg early on Monday morning caused what was described as massive damage along the stretch between Brieseland and Finkenkrug stations. Signalling was totally knocked out said a police spokesman, making it impossible for the high-speed ICE train services to run there, according to Der Tagesspiegel.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Germany: Parents Believe Their Ethnically Turkish Children Disadvantaged

Most parents of ethnically Turkish children in Germany say they are dissatisfied with the way their kids are being educated, according to a survey seen by Der Spiegel magazine. The survey of 1,256 parents of children between 3 and 18 years old by the Allenbach Institute and commissioned by the Vodafone Foundation found 59 percent believed their kids were not given the same opportunities as ethnically German children. A full 63 percent said they believed teachers had pre-existing prejudices against children from minority backgrounds, the magazine reported.

A slight majority (51 percent) also felt that their children were unfairly graded by teachers, even if they were achieving as highly as their ethnically German peers. A majority also felt language barriers were a major reason for what they felt was their children’s unfair treatment. Previous research has shown that children from immigrant backgrounds fare poorly in Germany’s school system compared to their ethnically German peers, although there has been disagreement over the reasons. Suggested reasons range from low expectations among teachers to poor German language ability among some minority young people.

A 2009 article in the American University Law Review reported that between two thirds and three quarters of children of Turkish origin were assigned to the lowest of Germany’s secondary schools — the Hauptschule — compared to just one third of ethnically German children.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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How a Far-Right Party Came to Dominate Swiss Politics

It has become the biggest party in Swiss politics and one of the most talked-about far-right parties in Europe. Meritxell Mir looks at how the SVP became so successful. With a strident anti-immigration stance and provocative campaigns, the far-right Swiss People’s Party (SVP) has become one of the most successful right-wing populist parties in Europe. It now looks set to repeat its success in October’s federal elections. For decades, the SVP seemed to be little more than a curiosity in Swiss politics, winning about one in every ten votes in elections. However, since the early 1990s its popularity has rocketed, its share of the vote doubling in 12 years. In the 1995 federal elections, the far-right party got 14.9 percent of the votes. By 2007, its support had risen to 28.9 percent.

“It has become the strongest and most stable extreme-right party in Europe,” says Georg Lutz, director of Swiss Electoral Studies at the Swiss Foundation for Research in Social Sciences in Lausanne. Today, it’s as strong as ever. The latest poll, published on September 9th and conducted by pollster gsf.berne, showed the SVP way ahead of its opponents, with the support of 28 percent of respondents. The Socialist Party ranked second with 20.5 percent of the vote share, followed by the Free Democratic Party (15.6 percent), the Christian Democratic Party (14.5) and the Greens (9.5). Like similar parties in other countries, the SVP plays on voters’ fear of change, Lutz argues: “Globalization, the openness and the enlargement of the European Union, and the increasing amount of immigrants were seen as a cultural threat to Swiss identity for many people.”

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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How a Frenchman Helped Invent the English Garden

Take a look at some of the Claude Lorrains in a new exhibition at the Ashmolean, and you could be forgiven for thinking you were in deepest Wiltshire.Claude was a Frenchman — born in the Duchy of Lorrain; thus the name — who lived in Rome for most of his life. And yet several paintings at the exhibition, like his Landscape with the Judgment of Paris, look distinctly English. Rambling, deciduous trees tumble down to a gently bubbling, rock-fringed lake, flanked by a ruined folly. If it weren’t for Paris’s toga and the goddesses’ topless gowns, you’d hardly think it was ancient Greece. Greece, ancient or modern, never looked as dark green as this.

This similarity — between rural England, and rural Greece painted by a Frenchman to look like 17th century Italy — is no coincidence. 50 years after his death, Claude was at the heart of the mid-18th century Picturesque landscape movement in England; it’s no coincidence that the word “picturesque” originally meant “fit to be made into a picture”. Other artists inspired the new generation of English gardens, too: Poussin, Gaspard Dughet and Salvator Rosa among them. Roman poetry, by Ovid, Virgil and Horace, also encouraged the movement, as did the English writers, Joseph Addison and Alexander Pope.

But it was Claude’s paintings that dominated the scene from the 1730s onwards. 27 of his paintings were sold in London auction houses between 1731 and 1759. Frederick, Prince of Wales, hoovered up as many Claudes as he could. In the early 1740s, engravings of 44 Claude landscapes were snapped up by the public from an enterprising Covent Garden printmaker. His arcadian vision was recreated across England in the parks of country houses, from Blenheim Palace to Stowe, with particular influence on the managed landscapes of Capability Brown. These new landscapes were contrived to look natural: clumps of trees wrapped round lakes, clearing to reveal views to the far horizon, just like in Claude’s picture of the Judgement of Paris.

And, just like in that painting, classical ruins were slotted into the apparently wild 18th century English landscape, as if the trees and rampant undergrowth had shot up around the long-neglected temples and monuments. In one painting in the Ashmolean show, Pastoral Landscape with the Arch of Titus, Claude takes a cheeringly free approach to classical archaeology. He transplants the ruined arch from the Forum at Rome, and slaps it next to some of the greatest hits of imperial architecture — the Colosseum, Claudius’s aqueduct and the Ponte Nometano. All this is then thrown together into an elegiac, rural capriccio.

This effect is precisely what the 18th century landscape architect, Charles Bridgeman, was aiming for at Stowe, Buckinghamshire, which has more classical follies than anywhere else on the planet. Among the highlights scattered through Stowe’s park are Doric and Corinthian arches, a menagerie, Dido’s Cave and temples to Venus, to Ancient and Modern Virtue, to Friendship and to British Worthies. At Stourhead, Wiltshire, the banker Henry Hoare was so keen on Claude that some historians have suggested the whole garden is a copy of Claude’s painting, Coast View of Delos with Aeneas.

The Claude phenomenon spread beyond the parks and drawing rooms of English country houses. In the late 18th century, English tourists rushed to the Continent, clutching their Claude glasses — small, tinted mirrors which instantly converted any scene in the Roman campagna into a mini-Claude painting. Another successful set of Claude engravings appeared in London in 1772. And, as late as 1794, a drawing room in Butcher Row, east London, was painted with a mural copy of Claude’s Pastoral Landscape with the Arch of Titus.

The whole idea of a specifically English type of gardening became associated with this feeling of rural wildness, too. Compare the Tuileries in Paris — parterres divided along dead-straight lines, lime trees manicured like topiary, and vegetation-free paths — with St James’s Park; where willows dip clumsily into the water, and snaking, pitted paths follow the undulating line of the lake; where the oaks are left to their messy, shifting outlines, part-obscuring, part-shaping ever-changing views of Buckingham Palace and the Foreign Office.

This picture of Englishness lodged, too, in the foreign mind. Les Jardins Anglais of France, the Englischer Garten of Munich…whatever they might call it abroad, the English garden is asymmetrical, untethered and faintly shambolic, with serpentine lakes, winding drives and trees grouped in apparently random clumps around an off-centre lawn. The managed wildness of the 18th century English landscape garden migrated into the English back garden. While grand Continental gardens were ordered and symmetrical, mirroring Renaissance ideals of the classical palaces they bordered, England’s gardens followed an ambling, unpredictable line. They developed ragged-edged borders, teeming with apparently unruly plants, with rough-mown paths curving through overgrown grass dotted with wildflowers.

“Old roses should be allowed to ramp away into big bushes,” Vita Sackville-West, the most influential English gardener of the 20th century, said of Sissinghurst, in Kent, “And allowed also to travel about underground if they are on their own roots and come up in fine carelessness some yards from the parent plant.” “Fine carelessness” is pretty much what Claude was up to — combining random Roman temples and submerging them among the overgrown trees and wandering hills of his idealised landscape, producing a kind of accidental beauty.

In recent years, the wild tradition of English gardening has come under attack on many fronts — particularly from the pared-down, symmetrical forces of minimalism, and from dictatorial makeover programmes demanding garden features, planned grids of garden rooms and acres of decking. But, still, a consciously wild tradition of English gardening survives: in the survival of English cottage gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show; in the reaction against anything too fake — iceberg roses, say — created by horticulturalists; and in the high visitor numbers to England’s 18th century landscape gardens.

Apart from the togas, only one thing looks out of place when you compare these English landscapes with Claude’s pictures — the weather. Although Claude’s dark green trees and shrubs look like they get a regular English soaking, his skies feel too hot for our northern climate. Usually set at dawn or dusk, Claude’s paintings are lit by that searing, southern, yellow-white light, promising intense heat to come, or signifying great heat in decline. That heat is hardly very English. But, in last week’s Indian summer, the words in Tom Stoppard’s play, Arcadia, never looked so true: “English landscape was invented by gardeners imitating foreign painters who were evoking classical authors… Capability Brown doing Claude, who was doing Virgil.” We like to think of ourselves as a cool, level-headed, northern race — but a streak of the warm, wild south runs through our landscape.

— Hat tip: JP

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Italy: Judge Calls Kercher Murder ‘Unsolved Mystery’

Knox ‘overwhelmed’ on her return to Seattle

(ANSA) — Perugia, October 5 — An appeals judge in the trial that acquitted Amanda Knox of homicide said Wednesday that the murder of her British flatmate Meredith Kercher will be marked as an unsolved case.

“It will remain an unsolved mystery,” said Claudio Pratillo Hellmann, the judge who read the not-guilty verdict Monday at the appeals trial of Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito.

The prosecution has said it will appeal the verdict which was widely seen as being based on a forensic report that said original DNA findings were unreliable.

“Nobody can say what the facts are,” the judge added. “The only one is Rudy Guede”.

Guede, 24, an Italian-Ivorian drifter, is the only person in jail for the murder.

Guede opted for a fast-track trial separately from Knox and Sollecito and was given a 30-year sentence, later cut to 16 years on appeal, a sentence confirmed by Italy’s court of last instance, the Cassation Court.

In the final verdict against Guede, whose DNA was detected all over the murder house, he was found to have committed the crime “with others”, identified at the time as Knox and Sollecito, during an alleged sex game that got out of hand.

After boarding a Tuesday flight from Italy to the US, Knox was greeted by swarms of reporters and supporters at the airport in her home city of Seattle where she spoke from a podium.

“Thank you for being there for me,” she said tearfully.

“I’m really overwhelmed right now. I was looking down from the airplane, and it seemed like everything wasn’t real”.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Italy: Comics Great Bonelli Dies

Publisher of Tex, Dylan Dog

(ANSA) — Milan, September 26 — Italian comics great Sergio Bonelli, publisher of the much-loved Western heroes Tex and Zagor as well as cult ‘paranormal detective’ Dylan Dog, died Monday in Milan.

He was 79.

Tex, who was created by Bonelli’s father in the 50s, inspired TV and feature films.

Dylan Dog, created in 1986 by Tiziano Sclavi, was also made into a film, while its sales overtook those of Tex.

Zagor, invented by Bonelli himself, was another hit for the Cepim stable, which became a publishing giant under his stewardship, Italy’s biggest comics and cartoon house.

Mr No — another Bonelli creation — Martin Mystere and Nathan Never were other international successes for Bonelli, who also oversaw a Tamil language version of Tex.

In an interview a few years ago, Bonelli said “I wouldn’t have been able to do anything else”.

He was an honorary citizen of Milan and in 2008 received a civic award for “helping make Milan the Italian comics publishing capital and making generations of children love reading”.

Milan Mayor Giuliano Pisapia said: “Sergio Bonelli thrilled generations of children and grown-ups with his comics.

“His characters, from Tex Willer to Dylan Dog, have gone down in the history of cartoons, amazing us with their adventurs which made us dream and which we will always remember”.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Italy: Berlusconi Complains of ‘Burden’ of Power

But says will carry on to steer country out of crisis

(ANSA) — Rome, October 7 — Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi on Friday complained that power was a burden for him but stressed he would continue to make the sacrifice to keep the government in place and steer Italy out of its current crisis.

“Being in government is a great personal sacrifice for me, it’s a burden I would gladly do without, but a government crisis is the last thing Italy needs at this time,” the premier said in a message to his People of Freedom party, vowing to serve out his term until 2013.

“Early elections are no use to anyone. Only the Left is excited by the illusion of taking power.

“It would only create instability and open new opportunities for financial speculation,” he said, referring to market pressure over Italy’s sovereign debt crisis.

The opposition Democratic Party replied that “he (Berlusconi) is the burden the whole country would gladly do without”.

It called on the premier “to free us and him of this burden, to give the country the chance to rediscover the path of growth.

“That way, he would have more time and energy to devote himself to the creation of his new party, which appears to be the only thing on his mind”.

On Thursday the sex-scandal-plagued premier was widely reported as quipping a good name for his new party would be Come on Hot Chicks, a claim denied by a member of his party Friday.

“Someone else jokingly suggested that name but the premier said it wasn’t the time or place to make such jokes,” said People of Freedom MP Ugo Lisi.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Sweden: Juholt to SVT: Don’t Have Åkesson Stand So Close to Me

The leaders of the Social Democrats and the Left Party on Friday declined to participate in an upcoming debate to avoid having to stand next to Sweden Democrat party leader Jimmie Åkesson. “We have taken the logical decision to decline participation,” Social Democrat spokesperson Nina Wadensjö told the TT news agency in reference to a televised party leader debate on Sveriges Television (SVT) scheduled for Sunday evening. “We do not want to stand with the Sweden Democrats, it is unthinkable for us.” The Left Party spokesperson Ted Bergdahl concurred. “The placement that SVT wants gives the image of a united opposition, which we aren’t,” he told SVT, arguing that the placement should be decided by lottery. On their website, the Social Democrats explained that they couldn’t accept how the show was arranged, since the placement of the party leaders implied that the Social Democrats formed a “common opposition” with the Sweden Democrats.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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UK: Boulter vs Fox

The Liam Fox imbroglio has just started to make more sense. The original story was broken by The Guardian (of whom more later) and the main source appears to have been one Harvey Boulter, an American mogul whom Fox fatally agreed to meet in June at the suggestion of his friend Adam Werrity. It was the kind of meeting that a civil servant would never have arranged. Boulter was, to use a political term, toxic. He was being sued for blackmail by 3M, in a court case being fought in London, and after landing this meeting with the UK Defence Secretary he tried to use it as ammo. According to 3M’s lawyers, he told them that unless this blackmail malarkee was settled quietly and out of court then his new mate Foxy would discuss at Cabinet rescinding the knighthood recently given to 3M’s chairman Sir George Buckley. A lunatic suggestion — as any Brit knows, knighthoods are not rescinded by a Cabinet discussion. But it may have sounded less implausible in America than it does here.

In this way, Fox stumbled into the middle of a lethal blackmail lawsuit. Ka-boom. But Iain Dale has significant new details now. As Dale puts it:

“So it is clear that from Mr Boulter’s point of view, if he can discredit Werrity and Fox as witnesses it will be ‘job done’. In essence, that’s what all this seems to be about. And Boulter thinks he has done a pretty good job so far.”

Dale’s scoop is an email from Boulter’s law firm, confirming that the subject of a knighthood did not come up. His blog asks why The Guardian — which broke the original story — did not report this part of it. Meanwhile The Guardian has more details for tomorrow’s paper (pictured, above), seemingly more ammo from Boulter. Details that he paid £10,000 a month to lobbyists trying to get closer to Fox. The story is here. Fox has made many errors, and apologized for them today. But it all makes more sense in the context of this American blackmail battle, in whose crossfire Fox is now caught.

The Boulter vs 3M story was originally reported with this intro: “It is a rare and wonderful case that brings together the British defense ministry, the maker of Post-Its, the dread MRSA staph virus, and competing accusations of corporate blackmail and legal-ethics breaches.” This story contains a whole lot more now. But for all his errors, is Fox actually guilty of wrongdoing? I think not, which is why I suspect he’ll survive. But it seems the mud-slinging is not over yet.

UPDATE: Tomorrow’s Daily Telegraph has a splash (below) presumably discovered in the vaults of its still-excellent-value computer disc on MPs expenses: Fox paid Werrity £690 in National Insurance in 2005/06 (I suspect this is the earliest year for which the Telegraph’s disc has data). Its significance?

“The payment suggests that he had been employed by Dr Fox in the previous year. At the time, Mr Werritty was the director of a company called UK Health. Since Mr Werritty has never been issued with a House of Commons security pass, the payment will raise questions about what work he was doing for the MP’s office.”

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: David Cameron is to Revisit Forced Marriage Crime Plans

The government is to consult on making it a criminal offence in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to force a person to marry against their will. Earlier this year the Home Office rejected the idea amid fears victims might be put off coming forward. In a speech later, David Cameron will also announce plans to make it a criminal offence to breach orders imposed by the courts to prevent forced marriages taking place. This already happens in Scotland.

Forced Marriage Protection Orders were introduced in 2008 for England, Wales and Northern Ireland under the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007. A potential victim, friend or police can apply for an order aimed at protecting an individual through the courts and anyone found to have breached one can be jailed for up to two years for contempt of court, although this is classed as a civil offence.

The prime minister wants that changed, as well as a re-examination of proposals to create a specific criminal offence covering the act of trying to force someone into marriage.

In a speech on immigration later, Mr Cameron will say: “Forced marriage is little more than slavery. To force someone into marriage is completely wrong and I strongly believe this is a problem we should not shy away from addressing.” Last year a unit set up to tackle the problem dealt with 1,700 cases, but many more cases are thought to have gone unreported.

The government says it is a breach of human rights to force someone to marry against their will for family advantage or to protect the perceived notion of a family’s honour.

However, in July the Home Office dismissed calls by the home affairs committee to make it an offence as ministers said it would be hard to prove and could have a negative effect on victims. Mr Cameron will now ask Home Secretary Theresa May to consult on criminalising forced marriage by working with support groups to ensure that such a move does not deter victims from coming forward.

In the same speech Mr Cameron is also expected to announce tougher visa rules to weed out bogus marriages and other immigration abuses. He will also call for relatives joining their families in the UK to speak English and have enough cash to live on. Mr Cameron will say the government wants to prevent immigrants becoming a burden on the taxpayer and is considering forcing some applicants to pay financial bonds. In his speech Mr Cameron will say: “Of course in the modern world, where people travel and communicate more easily than ever before and where families have connections all across the globe, people do want to move to different countries to be with loved ones. We all understand this human instinct. But we need to make sure — for their sake as well as ours — that those who come through this route are genuinely coming for family reasons, that they can speak English, and that they have the resources they need to live here and make a contribution here — not just to scrape by, or worse, to subsist on benefit.”

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: EDL Women Tell Cameron We’re Not Sick

Over 50 women and twice as many men came to Downing Street to protest against David Cameron calling the EDL (English Defense League), sick last month. There was also a UAF (Unite Against Fascism), counter demonstration. London, UK. 8th October 2011

More than fifty women and two or three times as many men from the EDL came to Downing Street today to protest against David Cameron’s attack on the EDL last month where he called the EDL sick. There they confronted a UAF counter-demonstration before marching to Parliament. David Cameron in the House of Commons said “Deprecating the EDL and all they stand for and their attempt to somehow say they are going to restore order is, I’ve described some parts of our society as sick and there is none sicker than the EDL.”

It was a statement that greatly upset the EDL, and the women’s section, known as the ‘Angels’ launched an online petition with the title ‘EDL Angels are not sick’. In it they describe themselves as “wives, mothers, aunts, grandmothers etc” and ask:

“Is it sick to care for your country and the downward spiral that it is on? Is it sick to protest at the two tier system that runs in our Country? Is it sick to protest over Child Grooming of which the majority is carried out by Muslim gangs? Is it sick to protest over the murder of Charlene Downes? Is it sick to protest about religious courts in our Country and the futile attempts by some to bring ‘Sharia Controlled Zones’ into our Country?”

So far the petition has attracted 780 signatures on the web site (though at least one person has signed it five times and a quite a few including Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun are clearly spoofs), and the EDL Angels organised a protest today to hand with the intention of handing it in at Downing St, although I did not see them do so. One of the most recent comments on the petition today claims to be from a David Cameron who writes “Girls! You FORGOT the petition.;-)”

They came along from outside the Red Lion in Parliament Street where they had gathered and into the pen the police had provided for them opposite Downing St. Some 50 yards up the road was another pen in which around a hundred people, mainly women, had answered the call of the UAF to oppose their protest. The two groups shouted at each other for around half an hour, with the EDL (and the men were rather more vocal) telling the UAF that they were not English and the UAF calling the EDL racists and suggesting they follow the example of Adolf Hitler.

Some of the EDL women wore t-shirts with the message ‘EDL Angels not racist not sick and not silent’ and the message was repeated on a large placard. Others carried placards with the heading ‘English Defence League Angels’ and a reproduction of a ‘One Law for All’ placard stating ‘Sharia Law Discriminates Against Women’. There were also a few of the usual EDL flags and banners based on the St George’s Cross and another placard with John Bull stating ‘If You Won’t Defend Your Rights, Don’t Complain When you Lose Them.’ One woman came in a burkha.

As some of the men came along towards the pen there was a little of the anti-Muslim chanting that I’ve heard at other EDL events, including one group who walked along singing “Allah is a ***** “, but I heard little of this later in the protest, which was generally well-behaved. I didn’t see exactly what happened when one woman wearing Union Jack ear-rings approached the UAF protesters, but she was led away struggling by police.

Among those who came to protest against the EDL probably all are also opposed to female genital mutilation, and against the repression of women in some Muslim countries. Most too — and most Muslims — are against any imposition of Sharia Law and certainly against ‘Sharia Zones’ and the other ludicrous activities of fringe extremist groups such as Muslims Against Crusades. What unites the UAF, as its name states, is the opposition to fascists and fascism and racism in any shape or form. Among those groups demonstrating with the UAF were Feminist Fightback, Mothers March, Women of Colour, PCS union, Socialist Workers and London Met Uni Feminists.

The Casuals United Blog had issued a warning to EDL members that the Muslim Defence League (MDL) had issued a threat that they were intending to “to hunt OUR ANGELS AND SMALL GROUPS OF EDL.” As they said (rather more graphically) there is not really an MDL, but they also suggested that there was “a demo George Galloway has arranged it is a Palestine Demo” taking place in Trafalgar Square. Of course it wasn’t a “Palestine Demo” but a Stop The War/CND/MAB protest, and although Galloway did speak he was not the organiser. I talked to someone later in the day at another event from the MDL who denied any knowledge of a threat being issued, and had not even heard of the rumour.

After around half an hour of shouting and pointing at the UAF, the EDL formed up into a march, led by the ‘Angels’ with the men following a short distance behind, with EDL stewards and police keeping good order, and set off for Parliament. As I was taking pictures of them outside the Houses of Parliament one of the stewards tried to move me away from the protest, and called on the police for help. They told him that I had a right to be there, and I told the steward that we lived in a free country and that it was important to uphold the freedom of the press. I had earlier had no problems photographing the ‘Angels’ (and had complied with some more reasonable requests by the chief steward) and have no idea why that particular steward took against me, but I have previously been named and threatened by EDL members for accurately reporting their events. I left to go elsewhere as the EDL Angels rally was starting outside Parliament. One group of women taking part in the counter-demonstration told me that they had been attacked by a group of male EDL supporters on their way to the protest for carrying an anti-EDL placard. Police stepped in and prevented anything further developing.

Earlier in the day I had spent some time reading comments on several online EDL forums and screenshots from them published on anti-racist web sites. Although the official EDL line is that they are only against extremists and not anti-Muslim and not racist and some of those involved may well espouse this point of view, it would appear that many of those who support the EDL have very different views. A week or so ago a damning academic study of the EDL and their activities was released by Dr Matthew Feldman and Dr Paul Jackson at Northampton University’s Radicalism and New Media Research Group.

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Mosque Users Answer Critics [Blackpool]

MOSQUE goers have hit back after residents complained the place of worship causes parking problems. More than 100 residents filled the Waterloo Hotel on Waterloo Road, South Shore, on Tuesday night to voice their opposition to the Noor A Madina mosque on the same street. Residents claim it is operating illegally and during its busiest prayer time on a Friday afternoon, those driving to the mosque cause a parking nightmare.

Peace

But Dr Zahid Mammod, 35, from Arnold Medical Centre on St Annes Road, South Shore, said: “I feel victimised and if someone decided to take this away it would be very distressing.

“I wish there was something we could do to help. “Although this is not in an ideal location, maybe the council can do something about it by providing extra parking spaces, because this is supposed to be a place of peace.” A petition against the mosque has been handed into Blackpool Council by the residents, while the co-owner of the mosque Natasha Shah waits on a planning decision which could see five buildings converted into a larger mosque.

Before the prayers started at 1pm on Friday, there were 10 cars parked next to the mosque and on the street, but the owners were told to remove them by the mosque and the forecourt was cleared. Wahid Hussain, 50, also uses the mosque. He said: “There’s no parking problem. People come into the mosque and they don’t cause any trouble.” Shezad Adam, 24, added: “We only meet for an hour and we are not harming anyone. We stand outside now and tell everyone to move so nobody complains.” Parking is available on nearby streets and a lot of the mosque’s users park in the car park at nearby Homebase, but Miss Shah says it is not only those using the mosque causing obstructions. She said: “We have cars parked there and other businesses park cars in-front of their shops. “We are going to cordon off this area during meetings.” Gary Rogers, 43, owner of Woodstock 4U Furnishings on Waterloo Road, said: “The parking on this street is a nightmare. It’s an accident waiting to happen because there is a constant flow of traffic and a lot of children live in this area.”

— Hat tip: JP

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UK: Police ‘Threatened’ me for Taking Pictures of Daughter in Shopping Centre, Dad Claims

A DAD says he was threatened by police under anti-terror laws — for taking a picture of his wee girl eating ice cream.

Chris White was pulled up by a security guard and police were called after he snapped his four-year-old daughter Hazel on his phone in Braehead shopping centre, near Glasgow.

Chris was asked to delete the photos and banned from the mall.

Police also warned him they could confiscate his phone under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

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UK: Secret Army of 200 Homegrown Suicide Bombers ‘Plotting to Attack Britain’

More than 200 UK-based terrorists are currently plotting to carry out suicide bombing attacks in Britain and are likely to strike during next year’s London Olympics intelligence chiefs have warned.

Government ministers have been briefed on the threat by senior intelligence officers from MI5 and MI6 who claim the figure is a ‘conservative estimate’.

The information is said to be part of a secret government report on the enduring threat from Al-Qaeda and other Islamic terrorist organisations

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UK: The Nadir of the Anti-Zionist Jews

For years and years, a small group of self-identifying anti-Zionist Jews have engaged in an energetic campaign against the existence of the State of Israel. These anti-Zionist Jews have poured venom on those who support Jewish self-determination in Israel, alongside Palestinian self-determination in a Palestinian state. They have painted Jews who disagree with them as agents of a foreign power, conspiracised about Zionist cabals and plots, and accused Israel of the worst crimes imaginable, including the deliberate killing of children.

While loudly declaring that Israeli Jews and their supporters are the new Nazis, they have staged antisemitic plays like “Seven Jewish Children”, in which Jews rejoice in their supposed “chosenness” while glorying in gore. They have marched hand in hand with supporters, members, of the genocidally antisemitic Hamas and Hezbollah, while attacking the critics of these groups as Islamophobes.

And now, they’ve been outclassed. By Gilad Atzmon.

Atzmon’s book launch takes place today, at a panel discussion on “Jewish Identity”, where he will be joined by the prominent Atzmon supporter and Reader in Law at Southampton University, Oren Ben Dor. According to Atzmon, the anti-Zionist Jews are planning to leaflet this event:

It didn’t take me by complete surprise to find out that J-Big (Jews Only Israeli Boycott Campaign) are operating relentlessly against the book. I always asked myself, how long is it going to take before J-Big contaminates my song with one of their Ava Nagilas or any other Jewish folklore anthem. It is almost amusing to follow the distorted Jewish progressive interpretation of the BDS. Instead of mounting pressure on Israel or its Hasbara agents, J-BIG is now trying to suppress intellectual exchange within our movement.

The anti-Zionist Jews paved the way for Atzmon. They promulgated the canards of Jewish political and cultural control, they promoted the notion that Israel was uniquely evil, and they promoted and covered up for Islamist and Arab nationalism antisemitism. Now, they have been replaced by a man who does the job just a little bit better than them, who is fully in harmony with the sentiments of the Hamas Covenant, and they’re not happy. So, having spent a lifetime accusing Jews of raising lying concerns about antisemitism for cynical and wicked purposes, the anti-Zionist Jews find that they have little support.

[…]

— Hat tip: JP

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Wall Street Protests Spread to Sweden

The anti-capitalism protests against Wall Street have spread like wildfire across the United States and the rest of the world, and have now reached Swedish shores. Currently, protest events are in the makings in 1,060 cities worldwide, according to the unofficial website Occupy Together, a number which is constantly increasing. Sweden is one of the places where a demonstration is being planned. The protest is to be held on central city square Sergels Torg in Stockholm, on Saturday October 15. The protestors received support from this year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, the Liberian human rights activist Leymah Gbowee, when she spoke in New York late Saturday evening. Gbowee expressed her admiration for the Wall Street-critical protests that are spreading across the world, describing them as “an indication that people will no longer sit down and just take it,” wrote the New York Times.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Wine: Saudi Arabia Visits Venice Hunting for Luxury

(ANSAmed) — ROME, OCTOBER 10 — There will also be tour operators from Saudi Arabia at the first edition of Planett, an event dedicated to luxury wine tourism, scheduled to be held on October 19 at the Westin Europa & Regina hotel in Venice. Planett is meant as an event where tour operators can meet and open new frontiers in the sector. The first edition of the event that was conceived by Marco Giol will be held after the already successful formula of Winett, a business to business meeting between wine producers and buyers, scheduled two days earlier at the Westin Europa & Regina. This will make Venice a point of reference from October 17 to 19, an alternative to other international expos, for the promotion of wine export and national luxury wine tourism.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Mediterranean Economy Week Starts in Marseille

(ANSAmed) — ROME, OCTOBER 10 — Figures attending the Mediterranean Economy Week in the French city of Marseille were met this morning with strong winds that have forced the opening of the “Objective Development” exhibition organised by the French Development Agency (AFD) to be postponed until Thursday. Meanwhile, the programme for the first day of the meeting, ro end on October 15, will go ahead as planned. Financial resources in support of the region are on today’s agenda, with an opening conference on financing instruments for regions in favour of SMEs, followed by this afternoon’s European Parliament Citizens’ Forum, which will be attended by a number of European MPs and will see talks centred on support policies for countries involved in the “Arab Spring” and the EU’s “financial prospects” for the period between 2014 and 2020.

The region’s main institutional and economic players are meeting in completely new circumstances this year. Europe is tackling an unprecedented economic crisis, while the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region is facing new challenges of democratisation and development in the aftermath of the “Arab Spring”. Over a series of meetings between today and Saturday, talks will focus on obtaining the template for a new model of cooperation that takes emerging situations into account. The key date in this week’s event, the fifth edition of its kind, will be the Marseille Forum, the first European-MENA affairs session, which will bring together 300 businesspeople and representatives of institutions from both sides of the Mediterranean on October 13 and 14. “Common vision, shared prosperity” is the title of the forum, in which participants will have the chance to identify investment opportunities and launch new partnerships.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Uprisings: FEMISE: Independent Banking Authorities Needed

(ANSAmed) — BRUXELLES, 10 OTT — “The public sector must disengage from financial institutions and set up truly independent banking supervisory authorities” concluded a study of four banking systems in southern Mediterranean countries (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt), published by the Euro-Mediterranean Forum of Economic Institutes (FEMISE).

According to the Enpi website (www.enpi-info.eu), the study reveals that Morocco is, by far, the country with the best banking system, with 6% of bad debt (in 2008), whereas this same rate fluctuates between 12 and 15% in the other countries. These percentages are still too high compared to the 3% observed in Europe. Morocco has also distinguished itself over the years with an effort to privatise the banking system and by equipping itself with credit information systems. The introduction of credible deposit insurance and applying the Basel Norms have also played a decisive role in the economic development of the country and the arrival of foreign banks, according to the study.

“The Moroccan banking system — said Rym Ayadi, who led the FEMISE study — has diversified but has not yet reached an optimal situation for development. Morocco must continue its efforts”. In contrast, the study says, the Algerian banking system, which is under state control, appears plagued by corruption and a lack of transparency in financial transactions.

In Tunisia “we observed failings in the internal control systems and far too much cronyism” said Rym Ayadi. The new democratic governments, in this sense, could introduce more rigour and transparency in financial transactions, says the report. FEMISE is an EU-funded project, which aims to contribute to the reinforcement of dialogue on economic and financial issues in the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Union for the Mediterranean.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Berlin Plans Airlift for Wounded Libyans

Germany intends to step up its assistance in Libya by offering visas for medical treatment to those wounded in the civil war. The visas are to be issued with minimal bureaucracy, according to German officials.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Clashes Beween Christians and Muslims: Orgy of Violence Plunges Egypt Into New Chaos

Channel 1, the state TV broadcaster, likewise got involved by issuing an appeal to Muslims to rush to the aid of the troops. It said Christians were rioting and killing soldiers. Islamist groups armed with knives and sticks responded by marching to the state TV building and joining the fight. The evening had begun with Christians and Muslims united against violence. It ended with battles between Christians and Islamist Muslims. Copts make up 10 percent of Egypt’s roughly 80 million inhabitants.

Businesses owned by Christians were also targeted. According to messages posted on Twitter, several stores selling alcohol were wrecked in Cairo. Rioters also gathered in front of a Coptic hospital and assaulted cars. Chaos has returned to the center of Cairo, where the Egyptian revolution originated and which has come to symbolize the Arab Spring. In recent months, there had been increasing incidents of clashes between Coptic Christians and Muslims, most recently in the south of Egypt, in the region of Aswan where a Christian church was set ablaze. The army didn’t intervene to protect the Copts.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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Egyptian Army, Police Kill 35 Coptic Christian Protestors

by Mary Abdelmassih

(AINA) — For the second time in five days military and police forces forcibly dispersed Coptic protesters. 35 Copts were killed today and over 300 injured. The numbers could rise dramatically as many bodies are still unidentified and disfigured beyond recognition. The dead and injured have been transported to the Coptic Hospital in Cairo. Bodies of 4 Copts were found in buildings and taken to the public morgue, reported al-Ahram Daily.

There were discrepancies between reports from the official State-owned TV and independent TV stations. Al-Hayat confirmed that army armored vehicles went into Maspero “in a strange way” and ran over the protesters. A video clip of the armored vehicles running amok through the 150,000 protesters was shown on Al-Arabia TV. Egyptian State-run TV said that Coptic protesters killed 3 soldiers and injured 20. They gave no numbers for the fallen or injured Copts. They also said that the Copts had weapons. This was refuted by Coptic priests and activists. Nader Shoukry, Coptic activist and journalist, said “We only had wooden crosses.”

“Today occurred a massacre of the Copts,” said Coptic priest, Father Filopateer Gamil in a telephone conversation with CTV Coptic Channel.. “I was an eyewitness to all what happened.”

According to witnesses, the army forces were waiting for the Copic rally to arrive at Maspero, near the state television building. “They arranged a trap for us,” said Father Filopateer. “As soon as we arrived they surrounded us and started shooting live ammunition randomly at us. Then the armored vehicles arrived and ran over protesters.”

Father Filopateer said he saw army police and affiliated thugs torching police cars, to later blame it on the Copts. He believes that the assault on the Copt was preplanned.

Copts announced a few days ago that they would stage a rally to protest the torching of the church in the village of Elmarinab in Edfu, Aswan (AINA 10-1-2011), as well as the brutal attack on the Coptic rally in Maspiro on October 4 (AINA 10-9-2011). Rallies were to be staged in Cairo, Aswan, Minya, Beni-Suef, Assiut, Suez and Alexandria.

“When we announced this peaceful rally we made it understood that it will be from 5-8pm and no sit-in and no blocking of traffic,” said Ihab Aziz, Coptic-American activist, who was one of the organizers.

Aziz said that the procession started today at the Christian populated district of Shubra and went to Maspero, in front of the TV building, on the river Nile. On their way, some Muslims fired live ammunition over their heads to terrorize them and some bricks were hurled at them. By the time they arrived to Maspero there were nearly 150,000 protesters. “The army and police were waiting for us about 200 meters away from the Maspero TV building,” said Aziz. “They started firing at us before two army armored vehicles came at great speed and drove into the crowds, going backwards and forwards, mowing people under their wheels.” He said he saw at least 20 dead Copts around him.

“The most horrible scene was when one of the vehicles ran over a Copt’s head, causing his brain to explode and blood was all over the place,” recalled Aziz. he held out his hand, showing two bullets in his palm. “We got a clear message today that we are no first class citizens.”

The same description of events was confirmed by Nader Shoukry. He said that when the Copts were trapped by the army forces, some threw themselves in the Nile and some just fainted seeing other people being run-over in front of their eyes. Copts ran to hide in the neighboring buildings, but the police dragged them out and assaulted them.

Dr. Naguib Gabriel, who was at the procession, was shot in the leg.

Michael Munier, head of El Hayat (Life) Party, said that what happened to the Copts today was a massacre. He asked why do the authorities kill the Copts who were protesting peacefully for their rights, while at the same time when Salafists blocked the trains in Qena for 10 days protesting against a Copt being nominated for governor of Qena, no one touched them?

“People are being prosecuted, including former President Mubarak, in courts presently because they killed demonstrators on January 28. Now the military police is doing the same to the Copts,” said Shoukry.

A curfew has been announced tonight in several Cairo streets.

— Hat tip: Mary Abdelmassih

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Egypt: Respect Freedom of Worship, Elections Needed, Ashton

(ANSAmed) — LUXEMBOURG, OCTOBER 10 — Freedom of worship is “a fundamental right which must be respected”, said EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on her arrival at the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg. Ashton expressed concern over the violence in Cairo and underscored that “the time has come for Egypt to move towards free elections” which can lead the country towards democracy.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Egypt: Copts Protest in Cairo, Over 20 Killed in Clashes

(ANSAmed) — CAIRO, OCTOBER 10 — Tension is still high in the Cairo area Shubra and along the Nile in front of the Maspero building (offices of the state TV) after clashes between soldiers, military police and Copts who had been protesting to ask for the removal of Mostafa al-Sayed, the governor of Aswan (where last week a church was destroyed). The death toll provided by the Health Ministry yesterday evening was 23 dead and 174 injured, some of whom in serious condition due to respiratory problems from the tear gas used by the military.

Fresh clashes between Muslims and Copts have occurred near the hospital where those injured have been taken. The protests by Cairo’s Coptic community had been announced days ago and was to have gathered together thousands of Copts in Tahrir Square to protest also against the head of the Supreme Defence Council, Hussein Tantawi, accused of not being committed to ensuring that Egyptian Christians’ rights are respected by the Muslim majority (Copts in Egypt total about 10% of the population of 80 million inhabitants). The Copts are also convinced that there is an agreement the military — which has held power in Egypt since the resignation of former president Mubarak on February 11 — and the Muslim Brotherhood, the only organised body thought to be able to take part in the legislative elections set for November 28. Enough time has reportedly not be given to allow the groups that promoted and led the January 25 uprising which brought down Mubarak’s regime to organise election campaigns. Yesterday, while protests were also being held in Aswan and Alexandria, the incidents began in Cairo. There has not yet been an official reconstruction of the events. According to state-run news agency MENA, the violence began “after shooting and stone-throwing by Coptic demonstrators who were marching towards the television headquarters to protest the tension concerning the Aswan church.” According to eyewitnesses spoken to by ANSA, the Copts marching towards the Maspero building were attacked by Molotov cocktails, stone-throwing and firearms by hooligans and “baltageya” (an Arabic term denoting violent and common criminals paid by counterrevolutionaries). When those taking part in the demonstrations reacted by throwing stones, soldiers and police allegedly intervened, shooting and using tear gas to disperse the protests. Yesterday evening Prime Minister Essam Sharaf made an appeal to warn Christians and Muslims not to give in “to calls for sedition”.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Egypt: Cairo: Violence Against Copts: 24 Dead and 212 Injured

A peaceful demonstration attacked by thugs and the army. Tank deployed, crushing some of the demonstrators. Christians and moderate Muslims accuse the army of pandering to fundamentalists. Curfew imposed. Anti-Christian violence “advertising” for extremists ahead of political November elections.

Cairo (AsiaNews / Agencies) — 24 dead and 212 wounded, this is the toll after violent clashes between Coptic Christians and security forces last night in Cairo. A curfew was imposed throughout the night, which ended at 7 this morning.

The violence erupted during a demonstration held by Coptic Egyptians and others, condemning the attack by Muslim extremists against a church in Aswan, aggravated by police and the governor inertia.

The Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, after visiting the site of the clash, said that “the greatest threat to national security is the manipulation of national unity and return to discord between Muslims and Christians.” This violence — he added — “threatens the relationship between citizens and the army.”

In reality, the violence was sparked by the army. Thousands of Christians — but not only — marched from the district of Shubra to the headquarters of state television, demanding the resignation of the governor of Aswan, guilty of covering up for alleged Islamic extremists. They also denounced the state television of inciting anti-Christian sentiments.

At one point the demonstrators were attacked by a group of plainclothes thugs who began throwing stones and shooting. Christians responded by throwing stones and the army, in response attacked the demonstration. A military vehicle charged some of the demonstrators and crushed them. The Christians then burned some police cars. Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas into the crowd, the demonstrators threw stones and anything they could throw at them.

According to the Ministry of Health, among the 212 wounded 107 are civilians and 84 police.

Since the fall of Mubarak, thanks to the sit-in in Tahrir Square, held by Christians and Muslims together, there has been a crescendo of attacks against Christians by Islamic fundamentalist forces.

The army seems unable to contain the violence, but more often seems inclined to defend the extremists rather than Christians.

Last night the Christians demanded the resignation of the military council and its president, gen. Mohamed Tantawi.

The anti-Christian violence appears to be part of a campaign to increase the consensus of the Islamic parties in the lead up to the political elections on 28 November. Local sources told AsiaNews that there is a plan to drive Christians from Egypt or at least to reduce them to a minority subject.

The Christians in Egypt, the country’s original population, constitute 10% of the population. They suffer from exclusion from public office and limits on freedom of religion, both in the construction of churches and in the freedom of evangelization and conversion.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Egypt: EU Ministers: Religious Minorities Must be Protected

(ANSAmed) — LUXEMBOURG, OCTOBER 10 — EU Foreign Ministers have unequivocally condemned the violence against Coptic Christians that has erupted in Egypt and have called on the Egyptian authorities to act in defence of religious minorities.

The violence “is very alarming”, said the British Foreign Minister, William Hague, while his German counterpart, Guido Westerwelle, called the incidents “unacceptable”.

“I think that it is very important that the Egyptian authorities reassert religious freedom in Egypt and that all sides refrain from violence,” Hague said during the Council of Foreign Ministers in Luxembourg. The Danish minister, Villy Sovendal, also expressed his strong condemnation, saying that he was very concerned that Egypt had reached a point of religious violence. The Dutch Foreign Minister, Uri Rosenthal, spoke of “extreme concern”, as did the Swedish minister, Carl Bildt. “The authorities have the responsibility to protect everyone and anyone, as well as their right to express their opinions,” Bildt said.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Egypt: China Hopes Religious Groups in Egypt Maintain Harmony, Safeguard Social Stability

BEIJING, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) — China hopes religious groups in Egypt will maintain harmony and make joint efforts to safeguard social stability, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Liu Weimin said here on Monday. Liu made the remarks during a regular press briefing in response to a question about China’s opinion on the religious clashes in Egypt’s capital city of Cairo.

Thousands of protesters blocked the main street in front of Egypt’s state television building and threw stones and bottles at soldiers and police on Sunday evening. Minor clashes between Muslims and Copts were reported in Cairo and some other places after the violence. The clashes have left 19 dead and 183 injured.

— Hat tip: JP

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Egypt Imposes Curfew in Cairo as at Least 25 Killed in Clashes

CAIRO: Egypt’s military ruler has imposed a curfew on Cairo’s Tahrir area as at least 25 people, including three soldiers, were killed and 170 injured after Coptic Christians protesting over an attack on a church clashed with security forces in the capital. Central Cairo witnessed a demonstration by activists against the military rule while police augmented by special forces deployed in the area called on protesters to leave before the curfew because they have been ordered to treat people breaking the curfew with firmness.

The curfew is to last from 2 am to 7 am Cairo Local Time. Despite the head of the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi issuing a decree to halt presenting civilians to military courts except in cases stated by the military law, people arrested in yesterday’s events might face military trials as they have attacked army members. Other protests in Egyptian cities have peacefully ended and in particular in Alexandira where thousands of Copts had surrounded a military area and torched cars nearby.

Copts had arranged for a rally in Cairo in objection to recent clashes last week in the area of Idfu in Aswan, Egypt’s furthest governorate south. Muslims had attacked a building they claimed Copts were turning into a church accusing them of not having the needed permits. Nothing was done to prevent the issue from escalating as the governor confirmed the permits were not requested from the official bodies. To reply the Copts published copies of the permits in newspapers signed by the governor himself. The governor did not apologise but noted “he was suffering fatigue when he signed the papers and hence cannot remember.”

— Hat tip: JP

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Frattini Calls for Egypt to End Religious Violence

‘Up to 100,000 Coptic Christians fleeing’, reports say

(ANSA) — Luxembourg, October 10 — Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini on Monday expressed concern about the escalation of violence in Egypt and reports that Coptic Christians were fleeing the country.

“We heard about an exodus of Christians,” Frattini said.

“They are talking about 100,000 Christians who have reportedly left Egypt but we do not know if these numbers are accurate”.

Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf called an emergency government meeting after at least 24 people were killed and another 200 were injured in clashes between Coptic Christians and security forces.

The violence broke out after a protest in the capital Cairo against an attack on a church in Aswan province last week. “This violence should never be repeated,” Frattini told reporters on a visit to Luxembourg.

“There is an escalation which worries us very much. This is a challenge for the transitional government which must demonstrate more effort than the Mubarak regime to prevent it and react to it”.

Frattini said those behind the violence against the Copts should be punished in an important sign of action ahead of the first round of elections in November.

“I hope that all the EU foreign ministers will condemn the very serious violence against the Christian Copts of Egypt,” continued Frattini. “I am sure that the Egyptian authorities will want to investigate and immediately put on trial the perpetrators”.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Libya: Appeals From Ex Leader; Jibril, He’s in the Country

(ANSAmed) — ROME, 7 OTT- Muammar Gaddafi is not giving up the ghost. The ousted Libyan leader has once again spoken out in an audio message broadcast by the Syria-based Arria television network, in which he calls on Libyans to take to the streets to protest peacefully and accuses foreign powers of wanting to conquer the countries of the developing world. On the military front, the rebel offensives in Sirte and Bani Walid, the regime’s last remaining strongholds, have limped on and are now are at a standstill.

“If the power of the [foreign] fleets gives legitimacy, then the rulers of the Third World are ready,” Gaddafi said. “Those of you who recognise the NTC, prepare yourselves for the creation of trans-national councils imposed by the power of the fleets to remove you one by one”. Libyans, he added, must therefore “take to the streets in their million”, because the situation in the country has become unsustainable.

Meanwhile, in Sirte, Gaddafi’s snipers are blocking the rebel advance. The idea mooted yesterday by rebel commanders that the Colonel’s native city would be taken “within 48 hours” now looks to have faded. The NTC says that Gaddafi’s son, Mutassim, who is thought to be leading the resistance in the city, has fled. Yet the situation remains very complicated. The ultra-loyalists hiding in the city “are veterans and fanatics”, Matthew Van Dyke, an American fighting with the rebels, told Reuters, adding that “it will take time, we are suffering serious losses”.

The Libyan Prime Minister, Mahmoud Jibril, who is on a visit to Baghdad, also confirmed that the ousted Libyan leader is still hiding out in the south of the country, protected by tribes, who occasionally cross the border into Niger, though he said that Libyan transitional government forces would soon be able to track him down.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Libya: Idris: Strong-Arm Ways of Multinationals Must Change

ANSAmed) — TAORMINA (MESSINA), OCTOBER 7 — Multinational energy companies and troops that backed Gaddafi in the name of business must change their ways, and Italian SMEs must arrive to Libya, said Prince Idris al-Senussi, the nephew of the late King Idris, exiled in Italy since 1969. The prince spoke at the Taormina Forum on development in Africa and Europe, organised by the Bank of Sicily Foundation and Studio Ambrosetti. In Libya, said Idris, “the conduct must change that has made several multinational energy companies and troops powerful and troublesome, which, indifferent to Gaddafi’s conduct, gave him impunity and allowed him to carry out abuses in the name of international businesses and interests. Energy is a beneficial asset, but so is democracy”. According to the prince, “Italy, which boasts a long-term, although fluctuating contribution to my people, must change its approach. Italy’s talent is in its SMEs, which have the ability to adapt and settle in, finding solutions in the local territory”.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Libyan NTC Forces Leave Bani Walid Airport, Several Dead

(AGI) Tripoli — Libya’s National Transitional Council forces had to withdraw from Bani Walid airport less then 24 hours after they announced its capture, said Salem Gheith, head of the NTC command centre. Gheith said several NTC fighters were killed or wounded in the fightback by Gaddafi loyalists at the airport 170 kilometres south east of Tripoli, one of the last strongholds of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime. At least seventeen fighters were killed and 50 wounded in the clashes.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Occupy Wall Street is Phony Opposition

Controlled opposition scam alert….The “OCCUPY AMERICA MOVEMENT”.

It’s everywhere! Just like Arab Spring for North America! and it’s sooooooo grass roots and spontaneous!

[Editor’s Note: The “tell” is the publicity this is getting from the TV Networks who spin it as the Democratic Party equivalent of the Tea Party.]

OCCUPY WALL STREET and the OCCUPY TOGETHER MOVEMENT is the work of SERBIAN contract revolution organizers the CENTER FOR APPLIED NONVIOLENT ACTION AND STRATEGIES [C.A.N.V.A.S] in Belgrade and it’s field operative organizer company, “OPTOR!”

So don’t you believe it when ABC says “Everybody and nobody are in charge….” or the Guardian hints, “rumors persist the group “Anonymous” is behind the Occupy Together Movement”.

OCCUPY TOGETHER in the US and Canada are directed by C.A.N.V.AS., the same directors behind the Tunisian and Egyptian and ‘Arab Spring’ revolutions. They may look the same but the objectives are quite different. The objective in America and Canada is NOT to topple ‘regimes’. C.A.N.V.AS. is backed by Council on Foreign Relations foundations like Carnegie Group and the Albert Einstein Institute.

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Blair Not Flavour of Palestine’s Week

The Palestinian Authority is furious with former Prime Minister, Tony Blair, the Mideast envoy of the international Quartet, for applying diplomatic pressure on President Mahmoud Abbas not to seek recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN. Nabil Shaath, the senior Palestinian negotiator, said on Saturday that “over the last few years, he [Mr Blair] played a minor part. The first thing that interested him was to satisfy the Israelis.” But Mr Shaath denied reports by the Palestinian news agency, Maan, that the Palestinian leadership was considering boycotting Mr Blair, who has been in post for four years. One unnamed senior Palestinian official accused Mr Blair, who is envoy to the Middle East of the Quartet (the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations), as “behaving like an Israeli diplomat, not an international envoy.” The Palestinians are particularly angry at the role played by Mr Blair last month in the pressure on President Abbas not to request full member-state’s rights from the UN Security Council, because they expected a degree of support from the Quartet, especially the EU component, to counterbalance the opposition from the Obama administration. The Quartet’s new proposal, for an immediate return to negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians has also angered them as it does not include their demand for a freeze on settlement building. Mr Blair spends on average a week a month in the region, with his offices based in the American Colony Hotel in east Jerusalem. Last week spokespeople for him and Israeli industrialist Ofra Strauss denied reports, based on rumours that have been going around Israel for months, that the two are romantically attached.

— Hat tip: JP

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Chairman of the Palestinian Supreme Judicial Council Meets a Number of Officials

Muscat, Oct 9 (ONA) — Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Zahir al-Hinai, Justice Minister and Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council received at his office here today Sheikh Yousef Adeis al-Shaikh, Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council for the Sharia Judiciary and Acting Supreme Judge of Palestine. During the meeting, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Zahir al-Hinai affirmed the attention accorded by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said for the bilateral relations between the Sultanate and the State of Palestine and the support for the Palestinian people till they restore their full rights and achieve their aspirations towards establishing their independent state over their land.

On his part, the guest expressed the appreciation of the Palestinian people for His Majesty’s supportive stances for the Palestinian right at the international forums and the Sultanate’s government assistance to the Palestinian legitimate right. He also hailed the process witnessed by the Sultanate in all walks of life, especially in the judiciary field in terms of legislation, rehabilitation and having infrastructure that keep pace with the modern age, such as utilization of computers and IT in the service of justice. He pointed out that this is a source of pride for Arabs and deserves to be a role model.

The Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council for the Sharia Judiciary and Acting Supreme Judge of Palestine presented an overview about the judiciary and legislation in force as per the link between geography and political developments. He affirmed that the records of the Sharia justice on properties in Al Quds and all Palestinian cities are strong evidences for the Palestinian rights and reveal the falseness of the occupation authorities.

The meeting was attended by Sheikh Zahir bin Abdullah al- Abri , Justice Ministry Undersecretary, Hamoud bin Talib al- Balushi, Chairman of the Public Administration for Judicial Inspection, Mohammed bin Abdullah al- Hajri, Chairman of the Public Administration for Courts, Faisal bin Omar al- Marhoon, Director General of Planning and the Palestinian Ambassador accredited to the Sultanate.

The Palestinian guest was also received by Dr. Abdullah Mohammed al-Saeedi , Legal Affairs Minister and His Eminence Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamad al-Khalli, the Grand Mufti of the Sultanate. During the meetings bilateral relations between the two countries were reviewed, fields of cooperation between the Sultanate and Palestine and the role of Ulama in the two countries to serve the Palestinian right and Muslims sacreds were discussed. Sheikh al-Khalili reiterated the Sultanate’s support to these rights. The Palestinian guest has earlier arrived in the Sultanate on a several day visit. He was received by Sheikh Zahir bin Abdullah al- Abri, the Justice Ministry Undersecretary, a number of judges and senior officials at the Justice Ministry. — — — — Ends/MS/FS

— Hat tip: JP

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Israelis Blast Hyprocrisy of Focus on Mosque Vandals

Ever since a mosque in northern Israel was allegedly burned by Jewish vandals last week, Israel’s leadership has been flagellating itself and vowing harsh punishment, while the Arabs and international community have been crying foul at the top of their lungs. But many Israelis, while in total opposition to the mosque incident, say the whole episode is just another example of the double standard they must endure, most often at the hands of their own officials.

Grafitti reading “Price Tag” was spray-painted on the side of the burned mosque in the Galilee town of Tuba Zangria, identifying the attack as the work of a small group of right-wing Jews violently opposed to government policies that endanger Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria — the “settlements.” Even though at least one local resident said he wasn’t convinced the fire was set by Jews, Israeli leaders from President Shimon Peres to the nation’s chief rabbis visited Tuba Zangria full of contrition. Prime Miniter Benjamin Netanyahu said he was “boiling with anger” over the “shocking” attack.

Police Commissioner Insp.-Gen. Yochanan Danino was even more firm:

“Price Tag incidents are serious and must be eradicated. Attacking religious symbols and holy places is an extremely explosive phenomenon that has implications for the general public of the country.”

To be sure, Tuba Zangria and its residents are and always have been loyal to the State of Israel, and an unprovoked Jewish attack on them should be forcefully condemned.

But at the same time, Arab attacks on synagogues and Jewish civilians are taking place all over the country on a regular basis with little or no response from authorities and even less coverage by the media.

For example, Joseph’s Tomb in the Samarian town of Nablus, one of Judaism’s holiest sites, is desecrated weekly by local Palestinians. As on every other week, Jewish worshippers arriving at Joseph’s Tomb last Thursday found the holy site scrawled with swastikas and anti-Semitic slogans. The Rabbis’ Council for the Binyamin Region noted that what set apart of the Tubia Zangria mosque incident from the descecration of Joseph’s Tomb is that nearly all Israelis condemn the former, while a majority of Arabs support the latter.

The rabbis insisted that the Israeli authorities and media should react just as strongly, if not more so, to the constant violation of Jewish religious freedom. Religious Israeli lawmakers Michael Ben-Ari and Rabbi Yisrael Eichler suggested to Israel National News that the double standard is a symptom of the Israeli leadership’s fear of Muslim threats and international criticism. “When Jews are hurt everyone is silent. When Arabs are hurt, everyone shouts,” noted Ben-Ari. Rabbi Eichler explained that “just three weeks ago a synagogue in the Ramot neighborhood in Jerusalem was torched. Even the religious media barely mentioned it. I responded to this severe matter here in the Knesset and I asked where is everyone who yelled against price tag operations when a mosque is targeted. All of a sudden, they’re guarding freedom of religion.”

— Hat tip: JP

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The Wretched Scandal of Gaza

Despite the Palestinians’ appeal to the UN for statehood, Gaza remains in a state of siege, lacking basic food and sanitation. Mary Riddell reports from ‘a stricken land’.

Past bombed suburbs and scrubland stands the house on the frontier of hell. Once, Abdullah Wahdem’s home was a pleasant villa set in the citrus groves of northern Gaza. Now its cream stucco frontage is pitted by the bullets and artillery salvos that slammed into the last outpost of a stricken land. Three miles away, across the wasteland, is Sderot, the Israeli town regularly hit by Hamas rockets fired from Gaza. While those attacks have provoked international outrage, few outsiders ever see the return violence visited on innocent inhabitants of a territory under blockade. The occupants of Abdullah’s house are as gravely scarred as its facade.

Behind the shutters stands his sister-in-law, a pretty young woman with a closed slit where her left eye was shot away. Her small daughter and the family’s other children still wake screaming after artillery rounds fell on their bedroom. Abdullah’s 10-year-old son, Mohammed, extends a hand with fingers missing.

“We are still suffering so much,” Abdullah says. “Everything has been demolished by the Israelis.” The fruit farm that was once his livelihood has been flattened by “sweepers” that have destroyed trees and bushes to allow maximum visibility in a buffer zone where, according to a local lawyer, a shoot-to-kill policy still operates. Farmers have been struck down as they tend their land, and a teenager collecting scrap metal from the rubble was shot the day before we drove in.

Almost three years have passed since the start of Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli Air Force campaign that killed 1,300 Palestinians, many of them women and children, and injured 7,000 more. Although the hostilities that crushed 4,000 homes and bombed Gaza back into medievalism are over, the current ceasefire does not betoken peace, or even an absence of war. The road back from Abdullah’s house leads through Beit Hanoun, where an Israeli air raid was reported to have injured three Gazans shortly before our arrival. I am travelling with Justin Forsyth, chief executive of Save the Children, and David Miliband, debarred from visiting Gaza for security reasons while he was Foreign Secretary and paying his first visit to support the charity’s work.

The Arab Spring has not percolated the permafrost of Gaza’s political winter. In the highest global forums, the Middle East peace process is back on the agenda after the Palestinian appeal to the UN for statehood. Gaza, barely mentioned in such discussions, is the scandal that the world forgot. With justifiable cause, Israel fears and detests the Islamic fundamentalist group Hamas, elected to govern the Gaza Strip. Talks between Hamas and Fatah, the Palestinian party that administers the West Bank, are far from reaching accord over the occupied territories.

In an urban sprawl of buildings bombed to rubble, the odd fruit stall, even a barber and a wedding dress shop, reflect the determination of Gaza’s 1.5 million citizens to survive a siege under which necessities, such as fuel and building materials, are either unobtainable or have to be smuggled through tunnels from Egypt. Children with pressed uniforms and schoolbags walk home from classrooms too overcrowded to cope, and the blue sea lapping northern beaches is poisoned by raw sewage. Electricity and the undrinkable tap water are intermittent, and — in a country that should be prosperous — children are routinely starving.

In a nutrition centre to which Save The Children has given $250,000 since the war ended, a grey-faced mother of nine sits with her tiny, 10-day-old triplets. Her name, Tahani, which means Blessings, is unlikely to reflect their futures or that of the 10 per cent of Gazan children so malnourished that their development is permanently stunted. Many of the mothers sitting in this clinic are university graduates, and the director, Dr Adnan Al-Wahaidi, trained at Great Ormond Street. But neither education nor skill can counter the curse of being born in Gaza, whose situation Dr Adnan describes as “being like a car stuck in sand and getting sucked in deeper”. As Justin Forsyth says: “Gaza is one of the hardest places on earth to be a child. The sadness is that the ruin of these children’s lives is so unnecessary.”

While Forsyth’s staff and medical teams do what they can, the Gazan crisis is also a failure of politics. On the humanitarian front, Forsyth has only praise for the Government, and in particular the International Development Secretary, Andrew Mitchell, and the “extraordinarily brave” Chancellor, George Osborne — who, in the face of austerity cuts, has ensured that British aid spending is maintained.

In the political sphere, however, courage is less evident. Despite pledges to the contrary, the Gazan border remains virtually impenetrable, stifling the economy and starving the population of life’s staples. As David Miliband says: “Gaza has gone off the political agenda, and that is dangerous.” Despite his lack of any formal role, Miliband, who left Gaza to meet young activists in Egypt, remains an influential figure, able to command the attention of foreign leaders at a time when the US Congress is threatening to cut $200 million in aid to the Palestinians as a rebuke for President Mahmoud Abbas’s call for statehood.

A central player in the mounting diplomatic crisis facing the occupied territories is Miliband’s old friend and mentor, Tony Blair. As the special envoy for the Middle East Quartet, made up of the US, Russia, the EU and the UN, he has attracted the wrath of Palestinians, one of whom described him as more like an “Israeli diplomat” than a neutral interlocutor.

While no politician (least of all Miliband) backs accusations that Blair has been freeloading, there is a genuine anxiety over the worth and impartiality of the Quartet. In the marbled offices of the West Bank, some senior Palestinian figures make little secret of their scorn for Blair and the “useless” alliance he represents. As Quartet efforts to revive the peace process continue, there is scant mention of Gaza, the dirty secret of the region and the world.

Countless lives depend on whether Israel can finally be persuaded or shamed into seeing that a prosperous neighbour would be less of a threat than a pariah land in which the Hamas government becomes more entrenched and misery engulfs the peaceful majority. Here in Gaza everything is rationed, except hope. In a children’s centre whose libraries and rose-scented rooms offer a rare oasis of calm, two 10-year-old boys write out neat homework. Abdullah wants to be a doctor, and his friend, Yusuf, says he hopes to become a pilot and fly out of Gaza airport. But Gaza has no airport. To fly away seems an impossible ambition when Yusuf may never even be permitted to trudge the dusty kilometre through no man’s land and across the barricaded border. The question is whether a region and a world intoxicated by the Arab Spring have the will to nurture one child’s small dream of freedom.

— Hat tip: JP

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Eight Bangladeshis Publicly Beheaded in Riyadh, Five More at Risk

The men were migrant workers. Pleas by human rights activists against the “barbaric”, “appalling” and “medieval” practice fell on deaf ears. The government and embassy of Bangladesh are criticised for the way they dealt with the matter.

Dhaka (AsiaNews) — Five Bangladeshi workers in Saudi Arabia may meet a fate similar to that of eight compatriots, who were beheaded in public in Riyadh on Friday for murdering an Egyptian security guard in 2007. Four of them are in prison and one is on the run. So far, appeals by human rights activists against the “barbaric”, “appalling” and “medieval” public execution have fallen on deaf ears. The Bangladeshi Embassy in Riyadh said that it is doing all it can to prevent another spate of executions. However, many people are critical of the Bangladeshi government for not doing enough to stop them.

A Saudi court sentenced the eight migrant workers to death by beheading. They were convicted of robbing a warehouse and killing the Egyptian security guard, Hussein Saeed Mohammed Abdulkhaleq, in 2007.

The Saudi authorities, as per the practice, did not inform their embassy in advance. In such cases, the bodies are not repatriated for burial.

In Bangladesh, National Human Rights Commission Chairman Mizanur Rahman said the public beheadings has traumatised the population. For him, the executions go against the spirit of international human rights laws, which say that no penalty should violate human dignity.

According to Adilur Rahaman Khan, secretary of the human rights group Odhikar (Rights), both the Bangladeshi government and the embassy in Riyadh “have failed to protect the Bangladeshis”, underscoring the weakness of the country’s foreign policy.

Sultana Kamal, executive director of another rights organisation, Ain O Salish Kendra, said, “There are no words to condemn the execution of the eight Bangladeshis. This is barbaric, appalling and a crime against humanity. The right to life has been taken away from the accused.”

Furthermore, she wonders why the United Nations or other human rights bodies were not informed of the matter.

More than 2,000,000 Bangladeshis work in Saudi Arabia. The latest eight executions bring the total number to 58 this year, twice as many as in 2010.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Lebanon: Hariri Trial Financing Divides Majority

(ANSAmed) — BEIRUT, OCTOBER 7 — The issue of Lebanon financing the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) on the 2005 killing of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri seems to pose a threat to the strength of the government. The Shiite movement Hezbollah, which leads the majority and has seen four of its members indicted by the tribunal, continues to oppose the financing while Prime Minister Najob Mikati would like Beirut to fulfill its obligations. “The tribunal will continue its work, whether we pay or not,” Mikati was quoted as saying by today’s Daily Star, implying that in the case of a refusal the UN might inflict sanctions on Lebanon. But Hezbollah leader Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah reiterated that “the tribunal will not be financed by Lebanon”, according to the newspaper Al Akhbar. On the basis of Resolution 1757 of the United Nations Security Council, which established the special tribunal, Lebanon is obliged to pay just under 50% of its expenses for 2011, which overall total 65 million dollars.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Number of Arab People Visiting Istanbul Up

(ANSAmed) — ISTANBUL, OCTOBER 6 — The number of Arab tourists visiting Istanbul year-on-year in the first nine months of 2011 rose by 26.7%, as Anatolia news agency reported. According to data by Istanbul Culture and Tourism Directorate, 676,675 Arab tourists visited Istanbul between January and September 2011.

6,079,873 foreign tourists visited the city in the first nine months of 2011. A total of 5,654,128 foreign tourists had visited Istanbul in the same period last year. Of foreigners who visited Turkey in the January-September period this year, Germans took the lead as it sent 743,094 visitors. Russia followed Germany with 369,006 of its nationals. Ahmet Emre Bilgili, head of Istanbul Culture and Tourism Directorate, said that mutual visa exemption between Turkey and Arab countries contributed to rise in number of Arab tourists.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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Top Dutch MP Slams Turkey’s ‘Belligerence’ Against Israel

Middle East expert Kortenoeven accuses Turkey of “sliding into an abyss of Islamic extremism,” criticizes foreign policies at OSCE meeting.

BERLIN — ­Wim Kortenoeven, a prominent Dutch MP and Middle East expert, blasted Turkey’s government for its jingoistic policies toward Cyprus and Israel on Sunday at a meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Kortenoeven’s sharp criticisms of Turkey’s foreign policies and repression of press freedoms elicited an irritated response from Turkey’s representative at the OSCE session on security in the Mediterranean area.

— Hat tip: KGS

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Indonesia: Java: Church Attacker, Spiritual Son of the Islamic Leader Baasyr

Beni Asri has confessed to having been “baptized” with the “baiat” a particular form of oath, by Abu Bakar Baasyr, a controversial religious leader of the country. His fellow “baiat” another young man who died in a suicide attack against the police.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) — Beni Asri, one of the country’s best-known Islamic extremists, arrested after the attack on the Christian church of Solo (Java) last September, has admitted strong links with the leading Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Baasyr. (09/25/2011 At least three killed in a suicide attack on church in Indonesia). Beni Asri has been accused of planning several suicide bombings in Indonesia, and in particular of being the organizer of the attack against the Solo church. Beni Asri was arrested Sept. 30 in his parents’ house in Solok, West Sumatra province.

Beni Asri (photo: the day of the arrest) made a crucial testimony to Indonesian security services investigators who are trying to trace the roots of radical fundamentalism that is spreading among young people. Beni Asri confirmed he had been spiritually “baptized” by Abu Bakar Baasyr after a short course of prayers and Islamic teachings in Cirebon, West Java, in 2008.

Beni Asri, a native of Solok, does not have a high level of education, he attended junior high school, and from 2003 to 2006 earned a living by selling clothes and toys in various markets around the island of Java. His life changed radically after coming into contact, by chance, with two men: Agung Nur Alam and Syarif, in Cirebon, where he used to sell toys in the markets during night parties.

Syarif, the perpetrator of the suicide attack on the Cirebon Police Headquarters, was killed in the attack, which injured several officers. “Beni Asri was very committed, he followed the sermons held continuously by Abi Bakar Baasyr in the An Nur Mosque in Cirebon,” said a police spokesman, Gen. Anton Bachrul Alam. “Beni Asri received ‘baiat’ and his companion was Agung Nur Alam”. The “baiat” is a spiritual oath, professed by young novices in front of their spiritual director and teacher, after a period of intense preparation and physical and moral training. According to the spokesman, Beni Asri was to an extent “kidnapped” by Agung Nur Alasm, Syarif and a third person, Sueb, to bring him to Abu Bakir Baasyr.

Beni Asri recieved “baiat” along with 15 other young unknown men. The only thing he remembers about that day and the “oath” is that he must “be loyal to all that the Amir (the spiritual leader, Ed) tells him to do, based on the Koran and Sunnah of the Prophet, in the effort to achieve the implementation of Sharia. “ After the “baiat” Beni Asri was as an active member of the Jemaah Anshorut Tauhid (Jat), an organization founded by radical Muslim Abu Bakar Baasyr after having abandoned, , his former fundamentalist group, the Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI) after strong divisions.

According to General Alam, Beni Asri was subjected to a brainwashing to inculcate a false idea of jihad (holy war spiritual) in a series of courses held by Baasyr in the Zaitun mosque of Cirebon. Considered the Amir of the Jemaah Islamiyah, Baasyr’s meetings, which were attended by about thirty young men.

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Malaysia: Perlis Raja Opens Floating Mosque

Kangar, Oct 9 (Bernama) — The Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail, last night officially opened the Al-Hussain Floating Mosque in Kula Perlis, a busy gateway for tourists heading to the legendary island of Langkawi. The mosque, which has its prayer hall extending out to sea, was built at a cost of about RM12 million through the sponsorship of businessman Tan Sri Mohd Ariffin Yusof and family. The mosque can accommodate up to 1,000 worshippers. The twin minarets of the mosque will light up in different colours during the dawn and night prayer times, and thus guide fisherman on the time for prayers.

[JP note: Perhaps another project for Boris: a floating mosque in the Thames Estuary? The world’s first Floating Boris Mosque for East End Muslims all at sea?]

— Hat tip: JP

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Malaysian Muslims to Get Counseling After Church Meet

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Islamic authorities will provide counseling to a dozen Malaysian Muslims to “restore their belief and faith” after they attended a community dinner at a church hall, a royal sultan said Monday. The case has triggered worries among officials in Muslim-majority Malaysia that some non-Muslims were trying to convert Muslims. Proselytizing of Muslims is punishable by prison terms of various lengths in most Malaysian states.

Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, the constitutional ruler of Malaysia’s central Selangor state, said Islamic officials who inspected a dinner at a Methodist church hall in early August found “evidence that there were attempts to subvert the faith and belief of Muslims.” The sultan did not elaborate on the evidence or mention Christians in his statement, but said the evidence was “insufficient for further legal actions to be taken.”

Church officials had repeatedly denied any proselytization occurred at the dinner, which they described as a multiethnic gathering to celebrate the work of a community organization that worked with women, children and HIV patients. Christian leaders had also criticized Islamic state enforcement officials for what they called an unauthorized raid. Malaysia’s state sultans command immense moral clout particularly among Malaysia’s ethnic Malay Muslims, who regard them as the top authorities on Islamic issues. Muslims, who comprise nearly two-thirds of the country’s 28 million people, are not legally permitted to change religion.

“We command that (Islamic officials) provide counseling to Muslims who were involved in the said dinner, to restore their belief and faith in the religion of Islam,” Sultan Sharafuddin said. Rev. Hermen Shastri, the general secretary of Malaysia’s Council of Churches, said the sultan’s statement “brings closure to the case.” “No one should speculate or aggravate the situation further,” he told The Associated Press.

The sultan added Monday he was “gravely concerned and extremely offended by the attempts of certain parties to weaken the faith and belief of Muslims.” “We hope that after this, any and all activities … for the purposes of spreading other religions to Muslims in Selangor must be ceased immediately,” he said. Malaysia’s non-Muslims mainly comprise Christians, Buddhists and Hindus, some of whom have complained in recent years that enforcement officials are often overzealous in trying to uphold Islam and fail to respect the rights of minorities.

[JP note: Islam is such a fragile religion that mere contact with a different faith occasions doubt, despair and despondency. Either that or they’re having a laugh.]

— Hat tip: JP

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Pakistan “Legalises” Persecution Through Blasphemy Laws

Until 1986, only seven people charged with desecrating the Koran or reviling the name of Mohammed. Since the introduction of black law over 4 thousand cases reported, mostly in the last five years. The protest of Christians and members of civil society. The law “protects killers” and those who “incite violence on the streets.”

Islamabad (AsiaNews) — The introduction of the notorious blasphemy laws in 1986, during the dictatorship of General Zia ul-Haq of Pakistan, has led to an exponential increase in complaints for “desecration of the Koran” or “defamation of the Prophet Muhammad.” Between 1927 and 1986, when the “black law” was approved, there were only seven cases of blasphemy. Instead, the victims since 1986 have risen to over 4 thousand and the figure continues to rise: in fact, from 1988 to 2005, the Pakistani authorities indicted 647 people for offenses relating to blasphemy, but in recent years, there have been thousands of cases of Christians, Muslims, Ahmadis, and members of other religions accused by word of mouth, without the slightest scrap of evidence.

The crime of blasphemy provides for life imprisonment or the death penalty. However, the 30 confirmed victims of blasphemy have died as a result of extra-judicial killings perpetrated by fanatics with the endorsement — or complicity — of the authorities and police forces. Complaints and killings are mostly the result of jealousy, personal enmities, economic or political interests that have nothing to do with Muhammad and Islam. This long trail of blood caused by the norms 295 B and C of the Pakistan Penal Code are signs of the “Islamization” of the nation, founded in 1947 on the principles of secularism, equal rights and religious freedom. Today the Christian community — around 2% of the population, concentrated mostly in the Punjab province — is seen as a threat for three fundamental reasons: Christianity is regarded as a “Western” religion, members of religious minority are considered liberal and representatives of a middle class — especially Protestants — educated, associated with the leadership of the colonial past, what is done by or against the Christians is “exaggerated” or overestimated.

The “Black Law” in the last 20 years has resulted in attacks against entire communities, as happened in Shantinagar and Multan (1997), or in the recent past in Gojra (2009), with deaths and dozens of houses torched. Pakistani Christians and civil society mourn three prominent figures, regarded as “martyrs”: the Catholic Bishop John Joseph, who committed suicide in 1998 in protest against the death sentence of two Christians, the Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, a Muslim murdered by his bodyguard on January 4 this year, the Minister for Religious Minorities, the Catholic Shahbaz Bhatti, killed by an armed commando on March 2 last year. The last two had requested the cancellation of the law and the liberation of Asia Bibi, a 45 year old Christian mother of five children, sentenced to death under the black law.

Many Christians and non-Pakistanis protest against the violence and human rights violations perpetrated under the law. For Basharat Gill the blasphemy law “protects the killers and promotes street violence,” revealing the “weakness of the judiciary.” Nadeem Raphael adds that “no religion permits violence and cruelty” against other human beings. “It is not enough that Islam is tolerant — Sadaf Saddique comments — we all need to promote peace, regardless of faith.” Bonnie Mendes warns that “it is absolutely right to stop the killings in the name of Islam”, but he also emphasizes that “even those who kill are wrong in trying to export their model of democracy.”

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Italian Ship Seized by Pirates Off Coast of Somalia

(AGI) Rome — An Italian vessel, the M/N Montecristo, with 7 Italians on board and owned by the D’Alesio group has been seized off the coasts of Somalia. The alarm was launched at 6.45 am when the boat was about 620 miles from the coast. A recent message from the Italian captain informs that the M/N Montecristo was attacked by a boat carrying five armed men.

There are 23 people on board the ship, 7 Italians, 10 Ukrainians and 6 Indians .

— Hat tip: C. Cantoni

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Canada: ‘Human Rights?’ Fired for Opposing Immigration Policy

As in a Communist country, Canadians ware denied their livelihood if they challenge the Illuminati banker agenda. Canada champions “human rights” only when it advances this agenda.

“A teacher can call a teenage girl a slut and e-mail her his desire to have sex with her, he’ll still be okay. However, be an immigration critic or stand up for free speech and you’re declared unfit to teach in politically correct Ontario.” Paul Fromm, Director of the Canadian Association for Free Expression

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Greece to Remove One-Day Visa Requirement for Turks

(ANSAmed) — ANKARA, OCTOBER 10 — The Greek government is preparing to remove visa requirements for Turkish citizens who make one-day visits to western Thrace. Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Dollis, on Prime Minister George Papandreou’s instructions, jump started the legal process to remove the one-day visas, daily Milliyet reported. Parliamentary deputies from the region near the Meric Evros in Greek) river, which is the border between Greece and Turkey, requested the lifting of the visas alst week, stating that the removal of one-day visas would economically benefit the struggling Greece as well. Turkey removed the one-day visa in the region in 1988. The legal proposal by Dollis is expected to be finalized next week.

— Hat tip: Insubria

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SA Man Loses Bid to Stay in Canada

South African Brandon Huntley has lost his latest bid to stay in Canada, after applying for refugee status, the Sunday Times reported. On Wednesday Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal against the withdrawal last year of his refugee status. The 33-year-old, who works as a handyman at a carnival, would now take his case to Canada’s Supreme Court. According to his lawyers this would buy him another four years in Canada. He left South Africa in 2004. In 2009 Huntley successfully argued to the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board that as a white man, he was being targeted by black criminals in South Africa. He claimed he had been robbed at least seven times in racially-motivated attacks.

— Hat tip: Rembrandt

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UK: A Welcome Plan for Real Action on Immigration

David Cameron and Theresa May are to be commended for their new proposals, but the barriers ahead remain formidable.

David Cameron’s speech to the Conservative Party conference last week demonstrated many sterling qualities. It showed courage: the Prime Minister is leading from the front during these difficult times, and is prepared to take the flak to which that exposes him. It demonstrated his determination, as Matthew d’Ancona emphasises on the opposite page, to be a “One Nation” Tory, leader of the nation rather than merely the Tory tribe. It also emphasised the compassion that, he insisted, lies behind his willingness to go against the opinion of many in his party over such issues as gay marriage, foreign aid, or intervening to topple the Gaddafi regime in Libya.

At the top of Mr Cameron’s concerns was the economy, and rightly so. He stressed the importance of harnessing Britain’s enterprise and “can-do optimism” to escape from our current straits. But the economy is not the only issue on the Government’s agenda. One of the public’s main concerns, as opinion polls have repeatedly shown, is the effect of excessive immigration. Indeed, it was Theresa May’s welcome desire to tackle illegal immigration that was at the root of her spat last week with Kenneth Clarke.

In his speech on Wednesday, Mr Cameron repeated his desire to return immigration to sensible levels. Certainly, the need is pressing: the latest figures show net migration running at well over 200,000 people a year — around half of which consists of those coming to Britain from outside the EU. The Prime Minister has repeatedly promised to reduce that number to the “tens of thousands”, but the Coalition’s existing measures are clearly not having the desired effect. We are therefore pleased to be able to report that the Prime Minister and his Home Secretary are to ask the Migration Advisory Committee to look at ways in which immigration from non-EU countries can be more effectively controlled. The ideas that the committee is to consider include raising the minimum income that prospective immigrants outside the EU must command. At present, the figure is £20,000. Raising it to £25,000 or even £30,000 should cut the numbers of officially sanctioned migrants, although it is hard to say by how much.

Another proposal is to reduce the number of work visas from the current level of 21,700 a year. That will have less effect. So far this year, only about 1,000 have been applied for each month, so the maximum number would have to fall by more than half to reduce immigration even fractionally. To have a significant impact, such visas would have to be eliminated entirely, which would provoke an understandable outcry from business.

Next, the Government plans to tackle sham marriages by increasing the “probationary period” from two years to five before a non-EU resident who marries an EU citizen gains the right to settle here permanently. In the absence of comprehensive changes to the way in which Article 8 of the Human Rights Act is interpreted — this being the now-notorious “right to family life”, against whose abuse this newspaper has been campaigning vigorously — this measure is probably the only one that the Government can take.

A final proposal is that companies should be required to publish a breakdown of their employees’ nationality, in the hope that those employing too few British workers will be shamed into increasing their number. The motive is admirable, but there must be concerns about the bureaucracy this would involve — not to mention the prospect of firms being stigmatised merely because they employ a high percentage of foreigners, perhaps because they are unable to find sufficient Britons with adequate skills and motivation.

The holy grail of immigration policy must be to find a way to let in skilled and productive workers that will make a positive contribution while keeping out those likely to break the law, or become dependent on state handouts. The Government is certainly making a serious — and long overdue — effort to move in the right direction; even Labour now accepts that things went badly wrong in recent years. Sadly, effort does not guarantee success. Because of a maze of international obligations and treaties, reducing immigration is enormously difficult. If any area of policy requires can-do optimism, it is here.

— Hat tip: JP

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